Malcolm Bruce’s Take on Burns Night

Malcolm Bruce — MP for Gordon and President of Liberal International British Group — put an interesting spin on his speech to the Immortal Memory of the Scots Bard at Merton LibDems’ Burns Night Supper in Wimbledon last night, by eulogising Estonia as the most Liberal country in Europe. Parties in both the government and the opposition there are members of Liberal International. And for centuries, the Estonians managed to keep their cultural identity alive, despite being ruled by Germans, Russians, Swedes etc. He also found an affinity between Estonians and Scots (which made me wonder why Lembit Opik has managed so far to be English, Northern Irish and now Welsh, but never a Scot…).

The Reply from the Lassies (following a Toast to them from Wimbledon PPC, Stephen Gee) came from the homegrown young MP, Jenny Willott, who won Cardiff Central at the last election. Her mother, Alison Willott (herself a former candidate in Wimbledon) was Mistress of Ceremonies, while her mother, Peggy Pyke-Lees, was, as ever, the queen-pin of the evening’s practical arrangements. Rabbie would have been enchanted (and would probably have run after them all…)