Every word of ‘West Highland Free Press’ describes Dunoon’s Brian Wilson, music promoter, journalist, Labour politician, UK government minister, forceful campaigner in pressing the case for green energy and free spirit.
The remarkable career of the man who has always had the light of engagement in his eye is the subject of a candid documentary for BBC ALBA this Friday, 2nd January 2015, from 21.00 to 22.00.
Featuring contributions from former Chancellor, Alistair Darling, former Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Forsyth and political journalist Torcuil Crichton, the programme chronicles Wilson’s journey to election and also his involvement in the debate over Scotland’s constitutional future.
Wilson talks frankly about his political life, whilst his former foe at the dispatch box, Lord Forsyth, admits that Wilson’s forthright views on issues such as land reform and the Gaelic language influenced his own policies whilst he was in office. Torcuil Crichton argues that Wilson was ‘neither a Blairite nor a Brownite but a Wilsonite’ and this desire to follow his own path was a contributory reason to why Wilson didn’t land a cabinet post in government.
Yet, his political life is only one small part of his multi-faceted career thus far.
Using archive footage and new interviews filmed with Brian at home and on the road, he recounts the days when he set up the West Highland Free Press in 1971 and broke the mould of the local newspaper, dealing with local, national and international issues with ease.
More recently, Brian talks about his continuing passion for Celtic Football Club, where he is a director, with the programme also reaching into the contribution he has made in reviving the fortunes of the Harris Tweed industry.
This programme is essentially a portrait of a private man who spends much of his life in the public eye – Brian Wilson.
