The first week in the New Year is, like the road to Hell, paved with good intentions: healthy eating, moderate drinking, regular exercise, finishing work at a decent time of night…
It's been a busy week taking forward strategic plans (our own and our clients). With a referendum in September and uncertainty of where we'll stand after that, I think a lot of organisations will front-load much of their public affairs work into the first half of 2014.
The political leaders and both referendum campaign teams were quickly back into the groove with those perennial favourites the New Year message, the keynote speech, and the opinion poll.
The Better Together campaign promised a series of celebrity supporters of the Union, to bring some sparkle to the debate. They then unveiled Oxford Professor and ex-civil servant Jim Gallagher as their new adviser. A great intellect, but little stardust.
We continue to view most Holyrood business through a referendum lens and this week Labour ended up opposing a Scottish Government move to introduce free school meals for P1-3, apparently because it was tied to independence.
Two of Scotland's most senior lawyers, Lords Cullen and Hamilton, were the latest to express concern at Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill's proposal to abolish corroboration in criminal trials. He argues it will improve the prosecution of domestic abuse or sexual assault cases where additional evidence is currently required. Lawyers fear unsafe convictions and sentences may be handed down due to a lack of that evidence. Holyrood's Justice Committee continues to wrestle with that one.
Glasgow University published some interesting social media analysis which suggests Yes campaigners have a better grasp of that particular tool and the #indyref hashtag. Whether it transfers into voting intentions remains to be seen.
Folk are looking forward to 2014 with a mix of excitement and trepidation. Excitement because it's the biggest political event in a generation and however you're involved it's something you'll probably still be discussing years from now.
Trepidation because it's still a long time until September 18 and by the time we get there the referendum campaign will have been running for 32 long, drawn-out months. America takes around two years to select POTUS (albeit that's only a four-year term) and that feels like a long haul. The Scottish independence referendum race is almost 50% longer and hasn't quite got the same critical mass.
I've been getting ready to give evidence to Holyrood's Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee as it opens its inquiry on lobbying next Thursday (January 16). The Scottish Government's proposing a separate and potentially more extensive regulatory regime for lobbying and so it's important for the public affairs industry to get on the front foot and address the misconceptions around our work. After advising others on how to present their evidence to a Parliamentary committee, it's time for me to walk the walk.
Finally, a little referendum light relief from Twitter's @YesNoPlays. Sharply-observed, tenderly-written Terry & June-style indyref sitcom sketches in 140 characters or less.
Alastair Ross
Director, Pinsent Masons LLP