A tough time to be a Salmond?

It was a great pleasure to stand by the River Tyne at the site of Chesters Roman Fort a few weeks ago and witness a salmon leap out the water. In fact, my excitement was beaten only by that of the two men near to me who had trudged to the riverside with rod and fly in the hope of catching one of these beautiful creatures.

Salmon fishermen catch these fish as they swim upstream to spawn, which is something they do all year. However, most fishermen accept the end of October as being the time to leave them alone so that salmon populations can recover. Maybe it is an interesting irony (or maybe it’s because I need a rubbish segue) that the end of October may prove to be the start of testing times for the Salmond of the North, Alex Salmond, the leader of the Scottish National Party.

A few weeks ago it all seemed to be going so well. Salmond had got Dave of Westminster to agree to a referendum on Scottish independence. Whilst he had not got the two question deal he wanted, he had got Cameron to agree to allowing 16 year olds to vote, a major coup as young Scots are overwhelmingly in favour of the end of the Union.

However, the following weeks saw major issues arise, two of which have struck at the very core of the SNP and their future plans.

Firstly, and for many SNP members, most importantly, the historic view of the SNP on nuclear weapons seems to have changed. Traditionally the SNP has been fiercely anti-nuclear, opposing nuclear weapons sites in Scotland and even refusing to allow nuclear power stations to be built in an independent Scotland. However, the issue of nuclear weapons, and specifically membership of the pro-nuke NATO alliance, was raised at their conference 9 days ago, with Salmond and other top brass arguing in favour. A vote was called, the motion was passed and a lot of SNP members became disillusioned. In fact, two MSPs, John Finnie and Jean Urquhart, have resigned from the SNP, stating that they will vote in line with the Party on most things and are still pro-independence but that they cannot support the new stance on nuclear politics.

All this may seem minor, but let me say two things – firstly Salmond and others have changed a major distinctive of SNP policy. That takes guts and has proven unpopular. Secondly, the loss of two MSPs has led to the SNP majority in the Scottish Parliament falling to one. Now I don’t think this is as cataclysmic as many others do, especially as Finnie and Urquhart have promised to support almost all the measures that government recommends. However, I do think it is bad PR for the Party on whom the pro-independence cause all but rests. Many will be wondering why, if they can’t keep themselves in check, should they be allowed to run a new country?

The other issue that has rocked the SNP in the last few days concerns their leaders and claims surrounding an independent Scotland’s standing in the EU. This issue was raised many months ago and at the time Salmond and his Deputy Nicola Sturgeon (both SNP) said that legal advice had been taken as to whether an independent Scotland would need to join the EU or not. When pressed on this legal advice they both claimed they could not reveal it due to it possibly being a breach of the ministerial code, which was actually a fair enough excuse (the Ministerial Code of Conduct is different for Scotland but basically asserts the same thing – propriety in their role – and so Salmond and Sturgeon mentioned it so as to not use their position to make a sly argument for independence, a cause which is clearly separate from their roles in the government of Scotland).

This however did ruffle a few feathers and so the issue of whether the SNP leader had to reveal legal advice went to court. The case cost the taxpayer more than £12,000 and ended earlier this week when Salmond was forced to admit that no such legal advice had been sought and therefore did not exist. He has since referred himself to an independent panel to investigate whether he acted appropriately. The issue has become a hot topic in Scotland, with the Scottish Sun, which traditionally supports the SNP, branding Salmond ‘an EU liar’.

The SNP therefore faces two challenges, the first to its make up and policy, the second to the honesty and uprightness of its leader and deputy leader. All this is hard to take with a referendum which, although still roughly 2 year away (the date has not yet been set), is very obviously on the horizon.

Debate warmly encouraged