When the first edition of this book was published in 2010 the author had three books under his belt, a long treatise on the secretaries of state for Scotland, a posthumous biography of George Younger, and ‘We in Scotland’ on Margaret Thatcher’s uneasy relationship with her rebellious Scots. All of them were well researched, worthy, but hard going.
Now David Torrance has written fourteen books, including a biography of Nicola Sturgeon and an account of the Scottish independence referendum, he has improved his style and revised, updated and, mercifully, shortened this edition of his biography of Alex Salmond.
The cover has a quotation from Salmond. ‘David’s my biographer. This guy knows more about me than I do.’ The book confirms this with fascinating revelations – some of which Salmond will have conveniently forgotten.
He had an undistinguished school record, a year at the College of Commerce in Sighthill to obtain a higher national certificate and a not too glorious time at St. Andrews University where he seems to have been eclipsed by Michael Forsyth. His defeat in the election for President of the students’ representative council is seen by Torrance as a defining moment in Salmond’s career. He took it badly but it imbued him with an even greater determination to succeed.
The book is full of such insights into the Salmond psyche. His political hero was the arch-schemer, Harold Wilson. He had only visited England once before he started work and that was to follow Hearts to a game in Wolverhampton against the Wanderers. Although he claims a lifelong support of the Jambos, I have never seen him at Tynecastle or following the Hearts around the country.
Other defining moments in his career was the rise and fall of the 1979 group and his expulsion from the Scottish national party, his failure to land a job with the BBC and his marriage to Moira.
He met Moira, 17 years his senior, while working in the Scottish civil service, and got married quietly in Colinton where, astonishingly, no pictures were taken, and has been devoted to her ever since. Although when one of my colleagues said he would never return to Westminster after the referendum because Moira would not let him I begged to differ.
For one of the features of his story is the love of the limelight and the green benches of Westminster, and the radio and TV studios of London provide him with that in top measure.
Another is his love of the high life. He was no frequenter of budget hotels when travelling and when his chauffer driven first minister’s car was no longer available SNP members had to stump up for his transport. In all my travel by train and bus in London and Scotland, he has never crossed my path.
But one of the positive features of his character which the book reveals is his loyalty to his friends. Most notable is his colleague and former chauffer Stewart Stevenson but also Kevin Pringle and Stephen Noon. Now that Kevin has gone to earn an honest British pound with Charlotte Street Partners and Stephen is apparently moving on to serve God rather than Salmond, he has lost two of the restraining influences on his excesses.
BBC Scotland’s correspondent, Brian Taylor, who was at St. Andrews with Salmond is recorded as saying he is driven by two things: ‘calculation and mischief’. I agree, but would add that his success has been the result of two things – determination and luck.
As Torrance recounts, Salmond was blessed by good luck in 2007 when the surprising Highland list results and the failure to have a recount in Cunningham North gave him his ‘victory’. Even he must have marvelled at his good luck when two keen SNP supporters won the Euro Lottery and shovelled money to him for the Referendum and election campaigns.
From this biography, however, notwithstanding his undoubted triumphs, the overwhelming story is of missed opportunities. The failure to have a coherent policy on currency and his ‘marmite’ character probably lost him the referendum and his immediate resignation shows he knew it. Polls have shown support for independence at or above 50 per cent in 1991 and 1998 and the pleasanter personality of Nicola Sturgeon might have won it.
But even so I would not rule out more surprises from our very own Lazarus. After all, at 60, he is six years younger than Jeremy Corbyn. And the inveterate gambler, former Herald racing tipster, might well not be able to resist another throw of the dice. Torrance should keep his pen ready for a revised fourth edition.
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George Foulkes is a member of the House of Lords and a former member of the Scottish parliament. He tweets @GeorgeFoulkes
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Salmond Against the Odds (Third Edition)
David Torrance
Birlinn Ltd | 496pp | £12.99