Liz was born under a wandering star...

Yes indeedy, Glasgow City councillor Liz Cameron, currently caught up in a dispute over  pay and conditions for cultural services staff, has been lecturing the said staff on the need to belt-tighten.

A subject on which of course Liz is a world authority - at least when it comes to securing one's seat-belt on an aircraft. Apparently Liz, in the course of her current many heavily-expensed duties has run up a £14k  travel bill since 2007. 

Ooh, that's a lot of money isn't it? 

Well, yes and no. 

For JT readers of a certain age might remember the following  feature from January 2006 that delicately raised the question of Liz's wanderings in her then capacity as Glasgow's Lord Provost. Incidentally I have a theory about Liz's need to roam - she's undertaking a global search to find a decent hairbrush. 


No luck yet then, Liz...

"£60K buys a "welcome break from scruff"- Lady Provost asserts


With news this week that the Lady Provost of Glasgow has managed to burn through sixty thousand of your earth pounds in travel expenses in the last 9 months, said lady provost has hit back at ill-informed media claims that she was taking the piss.


Pausing only to admire her extensive collection of visa stamps, Ms Liz Cameron told a frankly incredulous waiting media that the 60 big ones was money well spent, saying, (and I’m not making this up), : "We have helped to change the way that Glasgow is perceived and this has led to more and more interest from across the world."


Indeed. Doubtless, all across Foreign, people are saying :


"Truly, the good people of Glasgow must be loaded. Look how many times that Cameron woman turns up abroad at various free buffets, expenses no object."


And lest your average weegie might think that Glasgow might have charms too numerous to elucidate in attracting visitors, Ms Cameron rebuffed such ill-judged opinions saying (as above) :
"Glasgow does not have a royal palace or a new parliament to promote it, but it does have me." 


There you go, what have you got to complain about?


Finally, as the ultimate refutation of criticism, Ms Cameron went on to say (as above, again):


"I use my talents as a speaker of three foreign languages to directly engage with people of power and substance across the globe."


The subtext being : "I use my multi-lingual powers to get to the front of queue for the buffet where I talk to important people similar to myself, instead of the scruff I usually have to deal with back in Glasgow."


Inside: To go to New York for Tartan Day last year, Ms Cameron managed to get through the thick end of seven grand, while the Provost of Aberdeen did the same trip for a third of the money. But there you go you see, Aberdonians eh? What a bunch of tight-fisted bastards."