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You almost had to see it to believe it.
Kemi Badenoch’s team could have chosen anywhere in Scotland to hold their media event on Friday morning.
On Thursday, they picked a whisky distillery to talk tough on the cameras in the wake of Robert Jenrick’s alleged scheming and plotting with Nigel Farage.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch with Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay, right, on Friday. Pic: PA
And on the morning after the highest profile Conservative defection, the Tories rallied Sky News and others to an industrial estate on the outskirts of Aberdeen.
It was a survival training centre preparing offshore workers for worst-case-scenario disasters.
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We were asked to line up our camera for our five-minute slots, which were cut to four minutes.
The room had two giant swimming pools with large life rafts or lifeboats. The type of rubber vessels that North Sea workers would cling to and hoist themselves on board if an emergency unfolded in choppy waters.
Ms Badenoch with Mr Findlay, left, and shadow Scottish secretary Andrew Bowie, centre right. Pic: PA
Workers were being put through their paces, treading water, dressed in their safety gear.
Given the political context of the past 24 hours, it seemed an extraordinary choice of location, given the obvious headlines that would be generated.
As we prepared our camera, Ms Badenoch’s minders shuffled over to try and take a look at what we would be filming, what the scene would be behind where the Tory chief would be standing.
The massive life raft was floating behind.
A few moments later, we were all asked to move to another part of the building where a large swimming pool would be in shot. We were told it was the venue’s decision.
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This bizarre circus was all unfolding as the leader of the opposition was being given a tour of the facility, separate from the awaiting bank of cameras.
A photographer later posted a picture of Ms Badenoch on board, which looked like a simulator of a sinking ship.
When our interview finally got under way, the aides stood excitedly at the edge of the camera theatrically punching the air when their leader delivered what they believed was a key message or attack against Mr Farage and Mr Jenrick.
This whole 20-minute interaction behind the scenes is not exactly breaking news, but it gives an insight into what the public does not see.
Ms Badenoch speaking to the media
It is still baffling why the Conservatives were happy for the emergency training facility to be the backdrop to their narrative at a time when so many of their colleagues are literally jumping ship.
