Hey everyone No doubt many better scribes than I will have devoted many thousands of words on the resignation of our First Minister after the yes campaign was defeated in the independence referendum.
Bearing that in mind, I would like to offer a more personal appraisal of the man who has led our country for the last seven years.
As the curtain came down on Alex Salmond’s leadership of both his party and his country there can be no doubting his place in the history books where future generations will read of the rebel who became part of the establishment and was in my view responsible for transforming his party from one of protest to one of government, and his country from a nation of unquestioning lambs to a land of roaring lions no longer prepared to accept whatever crumbs of discomfort Westminster deemed or still deems enough to keep us quiet.
Alex Salmond goes down in history as the first politician in the devolution era to be elected twice as to serve as First Minister. The first politician in Scotland to lead a minority government which against all the odds survived to serve a full four year term and then just as the Labour Party thought they would win control of what they still arrogantly see as their parliament rather than the people of Scotland’s he was to lead another SNP government and this time by a landslide majority.
This is a fact made all the more remarkable when you consider the Scottish parliament was set up in such a way as to prevent majority and govern by coalition.
So the fact that he and others got us to the stage of holding an independence referendum is a remarkable feat in itself.
During the referendum Alex Salmond was viciously and relentlessly attacked by a press and media hostile to their cosy idea of a happy little land which was called the United Kingdom being in any way questioned. This was outside their comfort zone and many of them labour minded and indeed former comrades oops I mean colleagues l forgot your not allowed to use the red c word in case it reminds them they are supposed to be socialists, during their days as Labour students, tried to portray the referendum as Salmond v Scotland.
I have to say I found this narrative extremely insulting. Particularly when you know as I do how much of the press and media is controlled by those with interests outside Scotland. However it did seem to resonate with older voters many of whom when I quizzed them on issues as to what Scotland did and did not control and why they disliked Salmond so much were all over the place and unable to provide me with any satisfactory answer. Indeed whilst they were only too willing to tell me that our 16 and 17 year olds should not have a vote I have to say I for one found our youngsters to be far more astute than a generation In which I found some of the most politically ignorant and personally rude people that I have ever come across or for that matter ever hope to encounter.
When I did manage to engage the more civilised amongst this demographic to engage in debate I found a common political DNA which must have been planted in the poor souls by project fear. Often if they were criticising the First Minister I would put up a robust case in his defence, reminding them as I did so that he was elected with a landslide majority to govern our country. If as many did they would claim to not like to him, I would ask if they had met him. As it turned very few had but assertive to the last many would say how have you? In that sarcastic tone so many of them even the nicer ones, think they can get away with. What these people fail to realise is this is me we’re dealing with and I treat everyone with the same respect or lack of it depending on how they treat me.
I don’t remotely believe any of my inquisitors cared whether or not I had met Mr Salmond but they were usually stunned in to silence when I said I had and having also met a number of his opponents I knew whom I would trust and here’s a clue it wasn’t his opponents.
At first those concerned seem shocked I would challenge them in such a way and maybe even stunned when I asserted myself in such a positive manner, often saying but I thought you were just like me and my pals except younger. I remember one occasion where this was said to me by one of the nicer woman in this age group. I would say this woman was in her mid to late 60’s. Not wishing tread on the woman’s toes I told her politely but firmly that I was very much involved in politics was a local yes campaigner, a member of the SNP and had gained a joint honours degree in Geography and Politics degree from the University of Strathclyde. Oh I thought you were just like my daughter she said, you know married to a nice man with couple of kids at secondary school. I smiled and said in the words of Kylie I should be so lucky.
It was at this time I decided to gamble and I told the woman I was a transsexual woman. Well hen she said it can’t have been easy for you so I hope your happy now. I assured her I was and so was Alex Salmond. You see he was happy for me. Happy that I could be who I am and not who others wanted me to be. Are you sure he’ll be happy for you hen? I mean he looks like such a dour so and so she said.
I replied that I was sure and could tell her the story of how I know he could accept my situation. Go on she said, it will be good to hear somebody have a good word to say about him it might even change my views about him.
So I told her the story I always use when faced with negative spin about Mr Salmond it happened just before the last UK General Election when I along with others was invited to an Ask Alex question and answer session for new members of the SNP held at the Bridge in Easterhouse
At the end of the session Alex Salmond shook my hand as he did with all those in attendance. However, much to my surprise he called me over just as I was getting ready to leave asking if he could have a wee word. Naturally I obliged well this was my party leader and First Minister of my country. This is a man you do not turn down.
During our chat he thanked me for joining the SNP and said he hoped I would feel welcome in the SNP family. However it was in his next comment where I saw the true mark of his statesmanship and why I was so proud he was the leader of both my party and my country.
You see knowing of my transsexual identity Alex Salmond welcomed me to the party with these words ‘ in many ways it’s like welcoming both a new member but also an old friend at the same time. Well I had been campaigning for the party since Govan 1988 but had never ever joined. The First Minister then went on to say that the difference was there for all to see, and if I remember his words verbatim he said Gone is someone who though always likable and committed was more nervous than they needed to be. It’s if you were holding something back. Now those days are over and over for good. The happy and confident woman I see before me will be an asset to our country, our party, and our cause’. I don’t think I have been happier with any comments in my life. The fact is Alex Salmond did not need to take me aside for a private chat, he could easily he have just given the cursory handshake and that would have sufficed. However this is not just any man or any politician, this is a man of genuine stature and as
I have said every time I tell this story it shows the mark of a statesman a man who was born to lead.
The woman I was chatting to was gobsmacked I think it was the first time she had heard someone giving the First Minister a good review and I think the fact I shared a very personal story impressed her more than she ever believed it would. At the end of it she said that it had changed her opinion of him as a man and as a leader and she may even vote for independence because she had been made more aware of his personal qualities by my story. Before parting I asked her why she had been so hostile to him in the past. I must admit l found her reply very interesting. Well, she said it’s you never hear anything good about him on the telly and none of the papers seem to like him. I told her that all the papers were pro unionist and most were controlled by owners outside of Scotland. Well she said that makes a big difference no wonder they don’t like him it’s like they have a view of what Scotland should be like and they don’t like it being challenged. I told this woman that she was bang on the money and we parted on friendly terms her opinion of Alex Salmond dramatically changed for the better.
I have used this story repeatedly over the last four years to change people’s perception of Alex Salmond. He is a not only the most gifted politician but a man I respect greatly for his warmth and humanity. Now there’s words you won’t hear used about him by the fawning sycophants in certain sections of the press and media and believe me you may just be surprised to know how often it has actually worked.
You know it has been said that all political careers end in failure and to a certain extent this is true. History however will I think be kinder to Alex Salmond than it will be to Margaret Thatcher forced out of office by the hated and divisive poll tax or to Tony Blair whose downfall came in the killing fields of Iraq or even Alastair Darling whose willingness to share a political bed with the Conservatives may yet destroy the Labour Party in Scotland. You see when Alex Salmond fell he fell with dignity, grace, honour and principle. The four horsemen of what will one day be the unionist apocalypse standing beside him on the side of our country. Make no mistake whoever succeeds him will have a very hard act to follow. Fortunately however, I think I know the perfect candidate to do the job and to carry the torch for Scotland. So I say loud and clear to my choice for my country step forward Deputy First Minister and Deputy Leader of the SNP Nicola Sturgeon.
It is said that everyone has a chance to shine and a time to embrace their destiny. This is a pivotal moment in Scottish history, so we need a politician of talent drive and ambition to take Scotland forward to the next stage of our development as a nation in Nicola Sturgeon we are very fortunate to have someone who can do exactly that. So if I may use a Commonwealth Games analogy I say only this. As the baton is passed from one generation to the next I believe that your chance is here and your time is now. Seize it and let us win the better Scotland both our country and our people need and deserve to call home.
Love And Best Wishes
Gayle X
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