Sun shines for Mandate Scotland launch

Posted by Craig Harrow at Thu, 14/05/2009 - 3:41pm in Mandate Scotland news

Craig Harrow is Managing Director of Mandate Scotland

The glorious Spring evening was a perfect backdrop to our Scottish launch – with a view from the venue of the National Galleries, The Mound and the spires of Edinburgh; the capital was looking at its best for London colleagues to savour just what the city can offer when blessed with sunshine.

With a host of guests from business, politics and the media crammed into the Merchants’ Hall – we were treated to the melodic strumming of a French harpist before the party chatter drowned out the best efforts of Alina, our musician for the evening.

Inevitably the reality of the Scottish political scene invaded our gathering with two political journalists craning from the window most of the evening hoping to spy the arrival of the Scottish Lib Dem leader Tavish Scott for comment on gains on second homes given the comments of party leader Nick Clegg. Mr Scott did not join the throng but a number of his parliamentary colleagues braved the taunts about free drink and expenses to enjoy the party.

I explained it was an auspicious day – 13 May – as it was – according to Wikipedia when Churchill made his first speech as PM to the House of Commons when he said he had “nothing to offer but blood sweat, toil, tears and sweat” – much like the Mandate Scotland business plan!

We also had the opportunity to introduce a new member of the Scottish team – Kirsty Leiper - who joins us from Biss Lancaster next month.

Sacha Deshmukh outlined our approach and commitment to integrated communications – with a team of experts in Scotland and across the UK able to offer our clients a joined up approach. Of course he denied the opening of an Edinburgh office was part of an elaborate “flipping” strategy which is so in vogue with the political classes!

Sacha discovered a long lost client who he had worked with when she worked for Vodafone but they had only met via conference call; Ross Finnie MSP gave away some closely guarded campaign stories about my time as an agent when my campaign team managed to lend the SNP a loud speaker system the week before the election and Gavin Devine caught up with Richard Rumbelow from T Mobile whose stamina on the cocktail party circuit is legend.

As our guests emerged blinking in the evening’s sunshine clutching the goody bags that had been packed and dispatched by Jonathan Lomax and Jenny Lynch we were all satisfied that Mandate Scotland had been successfully launched without a hitch.

It is clear to me that female Mandate colleagues do need a taxi to get anywhere when the killer heels are on whereas Sacha, Gavin and Jonathan perambulated westwards along Princes Street as the sun set on a good day for our team.

My special thanks for the success go to Jenny for her unstinting efforts – and judging from the complimentary e-mails this morning from our guests all her hard work was appreciated.

Tagged with: Mandate Scotland