Our new video series brings the leaders of Scotland’s main political parties to the cowshed for a conversation with comedian and local farmer Jim Smith.
Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Willie Rennie fondly recalls his childhood playing around on bales of hay on a farm near where he grew up, so he feels right at home talking to Jim.
“We spend a lot of time talking to the farmers in Fife, because we’ve got the berries, got a lot of beef, but the arable also with the distilleries” says the MSP, who has his constituency in Fife.
There’s “thousands and thousands of people” employed in the industry, he adds.
Jim raises the issue of more protection for Scotland’s minorities like “red-headed teuchters.”
Willie notes that his party has guaranteed slots for women to stand for parliament and thinks it might be a worthy manifesto pledge to help Scotland’s redhead population become more politically active.
The Lib Dem leader has made a reputation for his crazy photo stunts on the campaign trail, and confides in Jim that there’s a secret department tasked with coming up with new ideas.
“They want to get me down to this aqua park in Dundee, but I’ve kind of drawn a line. Aqua parks are beyond the pale.”
The videos with political party leaders visiting the farm can be found on our Election Hub website, with episodes featuring Douglas Ross and Anas Sarwar still to come this week.