Our cultural life may be ensnared in more red tape

AT LONG last, the Scottish Executive has unveiled its cultural policy. Five years after it started and with five ministers grappling with the problem, it has certainly been a long time coming, but is it as attractive as the fanfare that greeted it last Thursday?

In responding to the challenge that had defeated all her predecessors, the culture minister, Patricia Ferguson, appeared to rise like a delicate souffle. Unfortunately, now that the cold air of critical analysis is circulating around her, the deflati...