Back in 2005, there was a very dignified photo-op during the election campaign that had then Scottish Lib Dem Leader and Jo Swinson during her first election on a canal barge. It was played time and time again on the news.

Yesterday, Willie Rennie and Jo Swinson launched her campaign to win back East Dunbartonshire on a boat in Kirkintilloch.

The image from that is a bit more fun and perhaps not quite as classy as the 2005 event.

When the leader can't resist a cheesy photo op. #GE2017 #winninghere pic.twitter.com/e5aKy1Eah0

— Scot Lib Dems (@scotlibdems) April 29, 2017

That made it into the Times Red Box briefing.

And there are signs that the Scottish Lib Dem press office are rivalling their London counterparts in the sass department.

Don't know what film you had seen but we were recreating the meerkat advert. https://t.co/5IPo1QRqja

— Scot Lib Dems (@scotlibdems) April 29, 2017

Here’s that Meerkat Moment.

And here’s the video that Willie and Jo made to launch her campaign:

Yesterday we kicked off the campaign in East Dunbartonshire. It's full steam ahead! pic.twitter.com/nZHVSpCYqK

— Scot Lib Dems (@scotlibdems) April 30, 2017

At the same time, Theresa May was in Scotland at on of her tightly controlled events where she’s allegedly meeting ordinary people so that she doesn’t need to subject herself to the scrutiny of millions on a tv debate. Willie’s had this to say about her visit:

This upcoming election is a chance to change the direction of this country.

If voters are left with a choice between the divisive nationalist SNP and the equally damaging hard Brexit Conservatives its no wonder people are feeling dismayed at the current state of politics. These two options are as bad as each other. But there is another option and Liberal Democrats offer a progressive alternative future. A future that would keep Scotland at the heart of the UK and the UK at the heart of Europe.

The SNP are seeking to tear us out of our UK family while the Conservatives are seeking a hard Brexit which will paralyse our economy and leave us disconnected from our family in Europe. It is the Liberal Democrats that are speaking for the majority.

Every vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote against a hard Conservative Brexit and a divisive second independence referendum and is a vote for a more open, tolerant and united Britain.

* News Meerkat - keeping a look-out for Liberal Democrat news. Meerkat photo by Paul Walter