Saturday, June 09, 2007

The Noblest Prospect?

Well, the SNP won the election and formed the government, and now the Scottish political focus will, in part, drift southwards for the general election. Partly in consequence, although this has been in the planning for a wee while, I now have a new job with the SNP. In London. I'm delighted, although I should also make sure that I'm the first to acknowledge the irony in the situation :-)

For a variety of reasons, mostly personal, I've felt for a while that I fancied a change of scene from Edinburgh. Ever since I started working for Stewart Hosie, I've been the only SNP Westminster researcher not actually based in Westminster, which had both advantages and disadvantages.

I've been brooding over a move to work elsewhere for a while now, either for a job related to politics or a return to finance. However, my progress with my MBA has been, ahem, sporadic of late. And the one thing I've found since leaving the financial sector is that by working for first the SNP and then their parliamentarians, I've enjoyed a hitherto rare engagement with what I actually do each day. Being able to get out of bed each morning looking forward to work, is something which it's absolutely impossible to put any kind of price on. So to get the change of scene but retain the work I enjoy so much is from my point of view, very fortunate indeed.

Next week will be business as usual, but after that, I'm going to have to throw myself into the task of letting out my flat and finding somewhere to stay in London. So, if anyone fancies moving into a spacious flat just yards from Portobello Beach, or alternatively knows of somewhere in London where I can move with both a cat and a car, please feel free to get in touch.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

London? Hmm…I’ve never really thought about working abroad. ;-)

I don’t know if I’d manage for long in such a big smoke, but I can see plenty of advantages:

1.There will be plenty of decent gigs to go to, without having to head along the M8;

2.When BBC presenters talk about the great weather outside, it will actually apply to you;

3.Should your paths ever cross, Kirsty Wark won’t talk to you like you’ve just sneezed in her Balvenie;

4.Whenever you return to Edinburgh, you’ll be amazed at how cheap a pint is!

Congrats on the new job anyway. No pressure, but another “cash for honours”-type expose would be nice…

Steven

Richard Havers said...

jzucdmiz
Richard, congratulations. I hope you'll still be posting. I've always enjoyed your posts, often disagreed with them, and sometimes even found myself agreeing with you 100%.

Richard Thomson said...

Thanks, Richard. I certainly intend to keep blogging. It might be harder to keep up with some of the day to day stuff in Scotland from Westminster, but then again, trying to blog from the Ministerial Tower at Holyrood was always going to be asking for trouble!

As for another 'Cash for Honours', Steven, I reckon that was a one-off, but kudos to Anne Harvey for digging out the relevant statute. Anne and I go back years to when I was in Bridge of Allan branch, so it'll be good to renew acquaintances.

It's funny you should say that about the weather forecast. I was looking at the BBC TV schedules on their website earlier today, and it occurred to me that instead of always having to pick a 'region', the first page that comes up will always be the relevant one! Not sure if Edinburgh is much cheaper than London for very much, though, these days...

Julie Hepburn said...

Congrats Richard! Rather you than me, but somebody's got to do it :o) Yet another person I know lost to London, but at least you'll be there to work in Scotland's interests. Best of luck!

Richard Thomson said...

Thanks, Julie. Be sure to pop in and see us next time your work takes you that way.