George Younger launch (in London)

The London launch of my George Younger biography on Tuesday evening was a great success with two former Prime Ministers (pictured left) and three former Scottish Secretaries (Sir Malcolm Rifkind and the Lords Lang and Forsyth) among the guests.

You can see more photographs from the event - which was held at Dover House - by clicking here.

George Younger review

A brief (but positive) review of my George Younger biography was posted on the Conservative Party website today by my fellow historian Alistair B. Cooke.

George Younger's secret archive

Some interesting papers from the archive of the late George Younger have just gone online at the Margaret Thatcher Foundation website. Particularly interesting are some entries from his 1970s diary and also documents relating to Thatcher's first leadership election in 1989. The website also contains multimedia, including a Conservative PPB featuring Younger from February 1987.

George Younger book launch

Last Wednesday marked the launch of my new book, an authorised biography of the former Scottish Secretary George Younger. The picture is of me with Lady Diana Younger, George's widow, and copies of the book.

Last weekend's Sunday Herald carried a piece by me about what George would have made of the current crisis in Scottish banking, and the launch also made it in to the most recent Sunday Herald's business diary.

You can order the book by visiting the publisher's website, Birlinn, or from http://www.amazon.co.uk/.

George Younger

I have an article in today's Sunday Herald on the role played by the former Scottish Secretary and Chairman of RBS George Younger played in protecting Scottish banking in the 1980s and '90s. Obviously very pertinent now, and a good plug for my authorised biography of Younger which is published this week by Birlinn.

Jim Murphy

Lots of profiles of the new Scottish Secretary, Jim Murphy, in this weekend's papers, including the Guardian and Daily Telegraph, and also some news coverage about how he'll tackle the SNP in Scotland on Sunday and Sunday Herald.

The Scottish edition of The Politics Show also led with a lengthy interview with Murphy about how he'll tackle the role. I think he equipped himself well, making it clear he asked to do the job full time and adopting a concilliatory tone when asked about Alex Salmond, etc.

Jim Murphy is new Scottish Secretary

Jim Murphy, the Labour MP for Eastwood, has just been appointed the new Secretary of State for Scotland - seemingly without another department as has been convention since 2003.

The outgoing Scottish (and Defence) Secretary Des Browne was reportedly offered another job but turned it down. Instead he leaves the Government. You can read coverage of his exit at BBC Online.

So far, only the super, soaraway Sun is carrying the news of Murphy's appointment with any authority!

The Tories and the Scottish Secretary

An interesting blog on the Conservatives and the post of Scottish Secretary by the BBC's Brian Taylor.