Questions about Salmond's motives

[GuessHowMuchI]

Sorry to be one of those "explain this to me" people, but I am interested in peoples actual view of this as opposed to the news outlets' take. I'm not Scottish and don't follow Scottish politics in much detail but have followed the Salmond case thus far. I am confused about the latest development.

So why is he really setting up Alba? Is it purely an ego project? If Independence is a shared goal of him and Sturgeon does this really give it a better chance? Surely it undermines the campaign by highlighting infighting?

Why did Salmond actually quit politics? I thought that he resigned after the No vote as anyone would in those circumstances and Sturgeon took over as expected. So why all of a sudden does he want back in?

Finally does anyone know why they fell out? Was it just because he couldn't stand seeing a woman doing a better job than him, or is that just how it seems looking from the outside?

It's the list seats he is after. It shouldn't split the independence votes much because, historically, SNP don't get many members elected via list, they rely on the constituency vote.

Can't help on your other points.

“Why did Salmond actually quit politics?”

He didn’t... he stood down as first minister, but then stood as an MP, he then lost his seat in the election after that.

“Finally does anyone know why they fell out? Was it just because he couldn't stand seeing a woman doing a better job than him, or is that just how it seems looking from the outside?”

Purely conjecture - I know neither of them, but, I kind of suspect when he stood down as first minister it was because he thought the SNP and independence was done for after the referendum - and then when that wasn’t the case his ego bothered him.

Finally does anyone know why they fell out? Was it just because he couldn't stand seeing a woman doing a better job than him, or is that just how it seems looking from the outside?

I'm not sure they "fell out"; maybe more grew apart in ideology. Nicola Sturgeon's leadership is much more managerial. She doesn't encourage challenge and has surrounded herself with yes-people (hah!) and careerists. She seems to be captured by a strange element of newcomers to the party.

Remember Alex got Scotland much closer to a yes vote than was ever anticipated. Party membership swelled while he was in charge and has ebbed away over the years. He's much more loyal to the "footsoldiers". Like many party stalwarts (not necessarily elected politicians) he's concerned about the focus on identity politics, vanity schemes and big gestures, at the expense of what matters to voters. He's an economist, the Scottish Govt has been hopeless for business and on economic matters.

I think he genuinely retired to take a back seat but is so incensed as what he perceives as persecution against him, mixed with concern about lack of progress towards independence and therefore he has stepped back into the fray.

Scottish independence

Ego

The order might not be quite correct.

He didn't retire, he lost his seat in 2017 and then took a job on a Russian TV channel.
As to the rest, who knows. To much soap-opera-politics for me.

I’ve no idea. I think he’s more of a campaigner and she’s more of a politician. He was definitely more allied to business (not something I think is necessarily good).
Tbh I actually think the best thing about independence if it were to happen would be that the snp could fragment into groups that actually have other political views in common. It’s a very broad church with only one idea in common, despite the united front they present.

He was definitely more allied to business (not something I think is necessarily good)

This comment worries me. It’s business that creates jobs, pays for public services, lifestyles,mortgages, maintains the economy. One of the huge problems with Holyrood is that there is little understanding of business and economics. I’ve had conversations with MSPs of all parties and the lack of knowledge about how business works is so concerning. Lots of “Why doesn’t the employer pay?” “Just increase wages!” “Fund apprentices” 99.6% of Scottish businesses are SMEs. Many operate on low margins with the owners taking out minimal amounts to keep the business going. Our shellfish sector is decimated with Brexit. Many of our hospitality businesses will not recover from Covid. Similarly arts and culture. But most MSPs don’t get this because their life experience is seriously limited to university - adviser to MSP or other party position - elected representative. You can’t distribute wealth without first creating it.

Absolutely bloody brilliant to see Cynthia Guthrie and Eva Comrie putting themselves forward. Strong smart women who understand business and employment.

@OllyBJolly

He was definitely more allied to business (not something I think is necessarily good)

This comment worries me. It’s business that creates jobs, pays for public services, lifestyles,mortgages, maintains the economy. One of the huge problems with Holyrood is that there is little understanding of business and economics. I’ve had conversations with MSPs of all parties and the lack of knowledge about how business works is so concerning. Lots of “Why doesn’t the employer pay?” “Just increase wages!” “Fund apprentices” 99.6% of Scottish businesses are SMEs. Many operate on low margins with the owners taking out minimal amounts to keep the business going. Our shellfish sector is decimated with Brexit. Many of our hospitality businesses will not recover from Covid. Similarly arts and culture. But most MSPs don’t get this because their life experience is seriously limited to university - adviser to MSP or other party position - elected representative. You can’t distribute wealth without first creating it.

Absolutely bloody brilliant to see Cynthia Guthrie and Eva Comrie putting themselves forward. Strong smart women who understand business and employment.

And of course, the councils are now determined to decimate whats left of tourism by the requirement for all holiday lets to be licensed. Put off until 2023 but any holiday let accommodation can be closed down on the complaint of one of the neighbours. So that means that anyone booking holiday accommodation in Scotland could lose their money with no redress, because if it became illegal to let it out, that wouldl be frustration of contract which permits no return of deposit or money paid.