Badger, I think you're right in your suggestion that Salmond has enough dirt to dish on Sturgeon to, at least weaken her position, if not bring her down.

I would welcome the downfall of the SNP. They are poisonous and a blight on our United Kingdom. Ever since Sturgeon refused to accept the result of the 'once in a lifetime' referendum I have taken a dislike for all things Scottish, even giving up on Scotch whisky in favour of American and Welsh varieties.

What always fascinates me is why, if Scotland is such a wonderful place, so many of the folk move south of the border.
It seems to me that nearly every other voice over, news reporter, sports commentator etc has a Scottish accent.

Having said all that I love the country itself. Best driving roads in the UK.

Dad and I watched games standing on the muddy slope of the Holmesdale Road end. He cheered and I rattled.

Seems an accurate summary to me.

Less Braveheart, more Fraudheart.

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

Often it’s more Loudfart from those in charge.
I’ve lived here for four years and haven’t met any animosity (not to my face anyway) certainly nothing like the insults and ill feeling my wife got from certain factions when we lived in east London.

Towards the end of my working life I worked for a Scottish Company in London.

To say that in general they were a bit racist towards the English would be an understatement. On a daily basis locals were put down ignored and generally regarded as inferior.

Luckily I was in a position to ignore most of it and was happy to come back to them with home truths.

Funnily enough being posted to London was the dream job for all of them.There was always much wailing and Gnashing of teeth when they were posted back north.

Back on the Salmond allegations either Alex is full of it and there is no smoking gun or he is playing a blinder. He says he has the evidence and will produce it this week.

If he has got the goods he knows how to twist the knife in he has built up his story with refusing to appear then dropping hints in the media and finally showing up.

I would imagine the political temperature in Jock Land is white hot at the moment.

One more point

He definitely has something over them. Problem is that I am not sure how he can be paid off? They clearly cannot offer him a job in the Scottish Government and not sure what kind of powers they hold in terms of appointing people to international positions (the EU and to a lesser extent NATO where always the great dumping grounds for any problematic political type who knew far too many skeletons in cupboards to just be left by the wayside but neither of them fall under the remit of the Scotch Government).

I think he wants Sturgeon to sweat. To have her, and her husband, dangling on a hook. This is sheer vindictiveness now.

Amusing to watch. Question is does Salmond truly want an independent Scotland or does he loath Wee Nicky so much that he will effectively destroy her and potentially damage the SNP for years to come?

Scottish politics is a toxic cess-pool at the best of times so I am going for the almost Shakespearian drama of it all and Salmond looking to destroy the top echelons of the SNP. It already has structural problems in terms of opposition to its wokeness so this could split it in half.

However, and this is me going out on a limb here, I wonder if Westminster is dangling a lucrative job in front of Salmond's nose? Wheels within wheels.

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." - 1984 - George Orwell.