Imagine if Alex Salmond had won the Scottish independence referendum

Former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond is denying allegations of sexual assault made by two members of staff at Bute House, the Scottish government residence. The claims relate to incidents that took place before Salmond lost the independence referendum in 2014 and resigned as leader of the Scottish National Party.

I make no judgment whatsoever on the case. The claims have been referred to the police, and Salmond denies the allegations.

With crackpot Nationalist conspiracy theories flying around the internet – it’s all down to MI6 apparently! – Salmond’s successor Nicola Sturgeon has issued a dignified statement that outlines the situation. She acknowledges that it is difficult for those complaining and for her own party.

Sturgeon said:

“Complaints were made in January relating to Alex Salmond by two individuals. These complaints have been considered since then under a procedure covering ministers and former ministers that was agreed by me in December 2017 in the wake of public concern about harassment. Although I have been aware for some time of the fact of the investigation – initially from Alex Salmond – I have had no role in the process, and to have referred to it before now would have compromised the integrity of the internal investigation, which I was not prepared to do. However, I was informed by the Permanent Secretary earlier this week that she had completed her investigation and that she intended to make the fact of the complaints public. Alex Salmond is now challenging the Scottish Government’s procedure in court. The Scottish Government refutes his criticisms of its process and will defend its position vigorously. However, this focus on process cannot deflect from the fact that complaints were made that could not be ignored or swept under the carpet. I have been clear on many occasions that organisations and workplaces must make it possible for people to come forward and report concerns and have confidence that they will be treated seriously. For that principle to mean anything it cannot be applied selectively. It must be applied without fear or favour, regardless of the identity, seniority or political allegiance of the person involved. My relationship with Alex Salmond obviously makes this an extremely difficult situation for me to come to terms with. I am also acutely aware how upsetting this will be for my party. However the over-riding priority must be to ensure fair and due procedure. I would also ask that the privacy of those who have complained be respect.”

The news was broken by the Glasgow-based Daily Record on Thursday evening, and the response was textbook diversionary Salmond in full media flight – Look! Squirrel! – with outraged talk of taking the Scottish government to court over its complaints procedure. The Permanent Secretary – the senior civil servant inScotland, who reports to Sturgeon – then issued a full statement defending her and her team’s conduct.

This one will run and run, as they say.

But the news of the row with the civil service, and the threat of judicial review, has made me wonder again what would have happened if Alex Salmond had won the 2014 referendum.

Defeat and setbacks reveal a lot about a politician, or about any of us. Salmond handled his defeat in 2014 extremely badly. What should have been a healthy retirement for a man who came close to breaking up one of the most successful political unions in history – the UK, a healthy democracy, cultural shining light, and NATO member – has turned into the saddest of declines. He is now reduced to presenting a television show for Russia Today, the Kremlin-approved Putin broadcaster, cheered on by a small group of professional half-wits and sycophants, many of his previous trusted advisors and friends having melted away saddened by what has become of a man they respected.

Imagine a domineering personality such as Salmond, unable to admit weakness or mistakes, still there in an even bigger office – first Prime Minister, or President, of an independent Scotland – after breaking up the UK.

Imagine the foreign policy implications for the West of Salmond strutting the global stage hungry for media attention.

Salmond has long been a qualified admirer of Vladimir Putin. What policy would he have pursued in relation to the Kremlin? It is an open question.

And what of the Trump connection? Salmond and Trump were friends and then fell out badly over a golf course and wind farm. Perhaps Salmond would have parlayed that into a global profile as a spokesman for the anti-Trump movement.

Perhaps, but it is unlikely, because of Salmond’s admiration for Putin. The Russian President loves Trump – for obvious reasons – and there would be so much more mischief to be had the other way, that is by re-establishing good relations with Trump after his election. The scope for Salmond to have put himself centre stage – host of a Trump/Putin summit at Edinburgh Castle? – is obvious. This is Salmond we’re talking about. He’s publicity daft.

All this ego-mania would be playing out right now against a backdrop of the SNP’s post-independence government booting nuclear weapons out of Scotland and  breaking up the British Army, Navy and RAF, and withdrawing Scotland from NATO.

I don’t know about you, but it makes me shudder to think what a close escape Scotland and the UK had. Thank goodness Salmond lost and ended his political career a failure.