This was a politician at his best! Malcolm Rifkind was in ebullient mood when he spoke to a full house at the Edinburgh Book Festival and introducing his new memoir, "Politics and Pragmatism". A very much left-leaning Ruth Wishart was in the Chair, gently pulled his leg about his accent, which prompted an immediate response from Rifkind, that of course she was from the west of Scotland!
Wishart introduced him as someone who had survived the years with Margaret Thatcher as Defence Minister and then Foreign Secretary. He had, of course, been Secretary of State for Scotland when, as Ruth Wishart put it, he was known as 'Secretary in a State'!
All this banter seemed to wash over Rifkind who took it all quite calmly showing his years of apprenticeship at the House of Commons Despatch Box.
His book promises to be an entertaining and an interesting read as it outlines all the nuances of his time in office when he had many amusing and somewhat fraught experiences. He told the audience of his appearance with the Prague Opera during their visit to Edinburgh many years ago. The Opera company brought all their singers, but they did not have all the spear carriers which they then recruited locally - students like Rifkind. This was fine until, when as Foreign Secretary, Rifkind made a speech in Prague and referred to "his time with the Prague Opera" - this caused some consternation with his hosts who had failed to appreciate and understand the full meaning of the reference!
He also referred to his time as Scottish Secretary when he got Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to attend a Dundee v Celtic football match at Hampden, which was just after the ban on the sale of alcohol had been enacted in law. The local Police Chief suggested that she should walk round the ground to see what a difference it had made. They set off before Rifkind could stop her and she was roundly booed by all the fans; it started like a sort of Mexican Wave and went right round the ground. Fortunately, there was a score just before the whistle which helped to calm some of the fans down.
He recalled his meetings with the last President of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev as being the most important of his career. He recounted how Gorbachev was relaxed and content when he met him and that his wife, Raisa, said that she was, "delighted to be in Britain". This was a complete change from the other Soviet leaders who had seemed to be ill-at-ease when in London. But Gorbachev was different and when Margaret Thatcher said that she "could do business with this man" he had a final seal of approval from "Iron Lady".
Ruth Wishart asked how Boris Johnson would get on as Foreign Secretary; Rifkind replied that Theresa May is on a winner whatever happens. Should Boris reinvent himself then this would be fine, but having been a celebrity all his life and lived in this style he might find it difficult. After a year we will have to see how things turn out and if he is not a success then he can be sacked.
Rifkind stressed that Theresa May had to take on someone else and this was critically important as she herself had been seen as an 'in' campaigner, so she had to have a leading person from the other side in a prominent position in Government. Michael Gove had ruled himself out by treating Boris so badly and virtually stabbing him in the back. Rifkind asked where all the leading Brexit Cabinet Members were now apart from David Davis and Liam Fox? No one had thought that Theresa May was quite so ruthless and she raised a few eyebrows with the selections for her Cabinet.
Devo max?
Talking about the possibilities for further devolution, Rifkind suggested that we might move to a quasi form of federalism as all the elements of the UK had their own Parliaments or Assemblies. He felt that we could not embrace the standard form of federalism as seen in the USA but we could adopt a more relaxed type.
On Scottish Independence he felt that the vote to stay in the Union had been decisive with a 10% margin - different from the EU Referendum with a close majority - so he saw no need for a further Scottish Referendum in the immediate future. Besides, he added, the economic situation had become really difficult for Scotland with the fall in the price of oil coupled with the Brexit vote.
Ruth Wishart began to ask about Labour in Scotland and said that the party had almost been 'wiped out' in Scotland. Rifkind quipped, "I can live with that"! But on a more serious note he said that what this country needs is a strong opposition in Parliament and at present the Labour Party is not providing this. He felt that whichever way things go within Labour, there is going to be a period of divisiveness and a lack of co-ordination. With so many of the Parliamentary party not supporting Jeremy Corbyn - who seemingly has the support at grass roots level - there is going to be an unsettled period. To bring matters home to Scotland, who would have predicted that Ruth Davidson would be leading the official opposition?
When taking questions from the audience, Rifkind said that he had been referred to in many capacities, however, on one occasion, a chairman, who had obviously not heard of 'the Pentland Hills' referred to him as the MP for 'Penthouse' - that well-known magazine!
When he was asked about a Scottish currency he suggested that it might be difficult for Scotland to join the EU as so many other countries such as Catalonia in Spain are seeking their own association with the EU coupled with independence. In Rifkind's view Spain would veto the membership of Scotland in the EU through independence.
Before Ruth Wishart took Rifkind off to the signing tent she apologised for having to tell everyone to turn LEFT and then LEFT again. Ah, said Rifkind, but at least you will all be in the RIGHT place!
Rifkind was brilliant and well deserves the five stars that I have awarded him. It is only a great pity that he could not have been heard by a wider audience.
Rifkind's book Power and Pragmatism: The Memoirs of Malcolm Rifkind