IAN Murray and Jackie Baillie appeared to try their hand at becoming a comedy duo while introducing Scottish Labour’s new MP.
Michael Shanks emerged victorious following Thursday’s Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election making him the party’s second MP at Westminster alongside Ian Murray.
On Friday morning Murray and Baillie teamed up to introduce Shanks ahead of speeches by Anas Sarwar and UK Labour leader Keir Starmer.
Evidently buoyed by the election victory they decided to take part in a haphazard call and response.
Murray began: “Jackie and I are going to tell you about the campaign in numbers, aren’t we Jackie?”
The first part of their routine was all but inaudible due to audio issues and Baillie failing to use a microphone.
As such, on television it merely appeared as if Murray was shouting out random numbers and phrases.
He yelled: “90,000! People spoken to! Leaflets delivered!”
However, eventually Baillie was handed a microphone.
Murray said: “You’ll all know the answer to this one: zero hours?”
“None!” responded Baillie.
Murray: “Press releases issued?”
Baillie: “Hundreds!”
Murray: “Social media impressions?”
Baillie: “Hundreds of thousands!”
Murray: “Billboards launched?”
Baillie: “Two!”
Murray: “Ad vans?”
Baillie: “One!”
Murray: “One working majority”
Baillie: “9446 more than the SNP polled!”
Murray: “One seismic swing”
Baillie: “A seismic 20.4% swing and I have to say not just a swing - a playpark!”
Murray: “One amazing candidate”
Baillie: “One new Scottish MP”
Murray: “A friend for me!”
Mercifully, the routine ended there as the pair introduced Shanks, who quipped: “I don’t know quite how you follow the double act of Ian Murray and Jackie Baillie”
The Jouker is just hoping there’s no tour planned.
