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Election 07

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Not doing a Kinnock

  • Brian Taylor
  • 12 Apr 07, 05:22 PM

鈥淎ll my life鈥, says Alex Salmond, 鈥淚 have been determined not to do a Neil Kinnock鈥.

This rather delphic comment was delivered to eager-snapping photographers as Mr Salmond stood, manifesto in hand and surrounded by a group of smiling candidates.

There are, I think, three interpretations. Firstly, the SNP leader doesn鈥檛 want to emulate Neil Kinnock who lost an election after, apparently, leading in the polls.

Secondly, Mr Salmond didn鈥檛 want to fall on his backside during a photo shoot. The bold Neil tumbled over while walking, purposefully, along a beach.

After the manifesto launch today, Mr Salmond was perched a little precariously on a grassy slope outside Napier University鈥檚 Craiglockart campus.

However, I go for the third interpretation. Alex Salmond is determined to avoid a Sheffield moment.

Come on, you must remember. Raucous noise, cheering supporters? Near the end of the 鈥92 campaign?

On stage comes NK, punching the air and yelling: 鈥淲ell, allllllll ri-ight!!鈥

Legend has it he lost in that moment of unconstrained exuberance. (I am inclined to distrust legend but no matter.)

Anyway, it was a different A. Salmond at the launch today. Deliberately more modest, more constrained.

In the poster leaflet going out to voters, he鈥檚 shown with but the faintest hint of a smile. Smirking is so last year.

He remembers 1999 when a powerful Labour onslaught completely destabilised the SNP campaign.

Now, Labour insist he鈥檚 avoiding a repetition of 鈥99 鈥 by avoiding the campaign. They say the SNP has held a minimum of news conferences to reduce exposure to questioning.

Whatever, the manifestos are now out in the open. Inter-party battle can commence, fully, on the ground and over the airwaves.

Expect close scrutiny of the SNP鈥檚 financial plans, their oil estimates and, especially, their plans to replace the council tax with a fixed rate 3p on income tax, standard and upper, to fund local services.

Alex Salmond says income tax is fairer and most people would gain 鈥 partly because, in office, he鈥檇 subsidise the new tax from the centre.

Critics say it鈥檚 a disincentive to employment and unfair because it doesn鈥檛 cover shares and savings.

All that and much more to come. For today, though, this was a confident and assured launch by Alex Salmond. Not too confident, though. Not these days.

"Bethan's a bit pi***d off."

  • Betsan Powys
  • 12 Apr 07, 12:04 PM

Not my words. That's how the Prime Minister's right hand woman introduced me to him yesterday. And she was right, I was.

When you're not allowed on the same floor as Mr Blair, let alone in the same room, when you and your camerman are kept apart to make sure you can't throw any questions his way, when you're told repeatedly that if you ask anything about the burning issue of the day - the decision to let the marines and sailors held hostage in Iran to sell their story - you'll lose your right to ask two questions about Welsh issues later in the day ... you get the picture.

In the end Mr Blair gave his one answer on the Iran story when he wanted, how he wanted. I asked some more and put it like this - before he left Milford Haven the Prime Minister was feeling a bit like I did before he walked through the door.

For those of you who read Conservative Glyn Davies' blog, you'll know what I mean when I say that I got home and wished I had a garden full of Cortadillas (right Glyn?) so I could go out and hack to my heart's content. Sadly I live in Canton in Cardiff. Not good Cortadilla country. I sort of glared at the pots instead.

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