"So,"she chuckled to Bronstein, "I wasn't just imagining it then."
Bronstein looked up, bemused. "So a Scottish accent is the most reassuring in a crisis? You were imagning that?"
"No" sighed the Cow. "It's just that every time Gordon Brown goes on tv to discuss the financial crisis, his accent comes over all haggisy. The rest of the time it's as hot potato as Tony Blair or George Osborne."
"Ah," agreed Bronstein. "I've noticed that myself. I'd always put it down to his wanting to capitalise on the Scots reputation for fiscal prudence, but perhaps it is that crisis calming thing rather."
"Odd that the British equivalent of the NSRI conducted that survey, though. Does this mean that all their phones will now be routed through to a ccall centre in Glasgow?" the Cow pondered.
"Well, that would put a few million Indians out of work, if everyone did that! And they'd have to invest in special headsets in the call centres, so that the mouthpieces didn't get choked up with deep-fried Mars bars!" mused Bronstein.
"And a number of South Africans!" chuckled the Cow. She recalled the struggle to get insured to drive in the UK, finally abandoned after the umpteenth call - to a UK insurer's call centre in South Africa - drew a blank.
"Hmm..." Bronstein paused. "I wonder if faking a Scottish accent would have the same calming impact in SA? Imagine a Minister of Health announcing HIV stats, or the Minister of Education announcing matric pass rates, in a calming Scottish accent!"
"Well," the Cow muttered drily, "They could take acccent coaching from comedians - they seem pretty adept at faking accents - but I suspect there are already far too many jokers in politics."