Mistaken identity as Press & Journal journalist turns up as a Tory MSP in his own newspaper
Journalist Cameron Brooks metamorphosed in a new role in his own story in his own newspaper – as a Conservative MSP.
Brooks covers the Scottish Parliament beat, along with Tim Pauling, for regional daily, the Press and Journal.
And in Friday’s P&J he had a by-line on a story in which a Scottish Tory MSP criticised Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise for spending £1.3 million, between 2006 and 2011, on gifts and promotional events as part of a charm offensive to lure investors to Scotland.
Detailing the gifts and events, the P&J went on to report ...”Conservative MSP, Cameron Brooks, who released the information, said: “Scottish Enterprise has spent a staggering amount on gifts and prizes over the last five years and its expenditure peaked in 2008-2009, when they spent £331,233.
“More recently, the sum has fallen but nevertheless an extraordinary sum has been spent in total.”
The subsequent paragraph gave a clue to the true identity of the Conservative MSP when it quotes a “Ms Mitchell” – presumably Margaret Mitchell, the Conservative MSP for Central Scotland.
Although Brooks had a story from the Scottish Parliament in Saturday’s P&J, there was no reference anywhere within the newspaper to the previous day’s case of mistaken identity.