Scottish opposition offered easy hit by Alex Salmond party launch

He has described himself as “no angel”, apologised to a woman who later accused him of assault, and behaved in a way deemed “inappropriate” and “touchy-feely” by his own defence lawyer during his criminal trial – after which he was acquitted on all charges.

Now, Alex Salmond has launched a new political party, claiming he alone can produce the historic pro-independence super-majority in the Scottish parliament that would place the cherished nationalist dream of ditching the rest of the UK within reach.

Upending the Holyrood election campaign when it had barely begun, Salmond’s launch of the Alba party raises serious questions for the SNP leader and first minister, Nicola Sturgeon. After emerging from two Holyrood inquiries into her government’s handling of the sexual harassment allegations against Salmond with her personal behaviour largely vindicated but her government continuing to face heavy criticism, she now faces a six-week campaign during which she will be yet placed in opposition to her former mentor – whatever he might say about this new party being complimentary to the SNP’s own hopes for a Holyrood majority.

But there are questions for Salmond too, many of which emerged at Alba’s ramshackle press conference on Friday afternoon. “Are you still a bully and a creep as described in court and inquiry evidence?” asked the Herald’s political editor, Tom Gordon. Reporter after reporter questioned his suitability as a candidate and party leader, and offered him opportunities to apologise for his behaviour and its wider impact, none of which he took.

But these questions will not go away – whether you believe them to be legitimate or “horrifying”, according to one of the many pro-independence bloggers who also populated the Zoom briefing. Another congratulated Salmond on “emerging from your nightmare”.

“As far as I’m concerned, with two court cases, two judges, one jury, three inquiries, these have to be accepted by everyone,” Salmond said repeatedly, asking others to “move on” like he had done. Though there remains the outstanding legal action against the Scottish government he announced on Wednesday and a police investigation he has called for into a leak from the inquiry to the Daily Record.

If the press conference offered a snapshot of the generational divide in support for Salmond, those younger, more equalities-minded SNP members who joined after the 2014 referendum, just as Sturgeon took over leadership of party and country, are unlikely to be moved by all this theatre. But there will be others who have been expressing frustration at the SNP’s cautious approach to referendum strategy, disquiet at the party’s centralised decision-making or concern at its direction on transgender rights, who will be happy to jump ship. This includes the outspoken now former SNP councillor Chris McEleny, who was prominent on Salmond’s initial candidate list.

Within 10 minutes of Alba’s official launch, Salmond was riffing on alternatives to a referendum via a section 30 order – a process previously described as the “gold standard” by Sturgeon. “It’s by no means the only route … plebiscite, international legal action, peaceful street demonstrations, popular will. These are all tactics,” he said, insisting that his proposed super-majority “changes the balance in Scotland’s favour, that’s what Alba’s got to offer”.

Salmond is known as a master of comebacks – he was twice elected SNP leader and served two different spells as an MSP – but current polling suggests his popularity is on the wane, and in particular compared with Sturgeon, who continues to enjoy healthy approval ratings, bolstered by her handling of the pandemic.

During the press conference, Salmond denied that Nigel Farage was a role model. But if, as is likely, he rallies enough support among those who remain ardently loyal to him, especially in the north-east where he is standing, to win a seat, he will become a lightening rod for the more populist pro-independence factions that wish to put pressure on Sturgeon.

For the next six weeks, this offers opposition parties the easy hit of highlighting a divided independence movement and nationalist squabbling, as well as keeping the spotlight on a saga that we know has had a chilling effect on people coming forward with sexual harassment complaints.