SNP Leadership contest 2004

'I am not going to hold any grudges. I want to let bygones be bygones. We all need to work together for the futue of the party.' Alex Neil MSP, 10 th August 2004.

Salmond wins support of an unlikely ally

By Andrew Denholm, political correspondent in the Scotsman, 11 th August 2004

As a public endorsement of his campaign to lead the Scottish National Party, it would have brought Alex Salmond both comfort and despair in equal measure, to match his undoubted surprise.

On the face of it, the unlikely support of Alex Neil, a long-time adversary and standard bearer for the influential fundamentalist wing of the party, gives him a major fillip in the leadership campaign. As part of the left wing of the party, Mr Neil could have been expected to support the more ideologically aligned leadership candidacy of Roseanna Cunningham.

However, by also backing the left-of-centre Christine Grahame for deputy leader, Mr Neil has struck a body blow to Mr Salmond's dream ticket of standing jointly with Nicola Sturgeon - flagging a warning that the so-called fundamentalists can be ignored no longer.

Yesterday, Mr Neil's support for Mr Salmond stunned political observers, not least because the antipathy between the two men is well known in Scottish political circles.

Only weeks ago, Mr Neil was himself expected to throw his hat into the leadership-contest ring, but decided not to do so after Mr Salmond declared he could not work with him.

Last night, Mr Neil, who is a list MSP for Central Scotland and a former leadership contender for the party, struck a decidedly conciliatory note. 'I support the social democratic values he is putting forward in his manifesto. He is the best-placed candidate to unite the party and he is best placed to maximise the SNP vote.' he said.

When pressed on how he could support someone who had damaged his own chances of a leadership bid, Mr Neil, a member of the party's ruling national executive committee replied: 'I am not going to hold any grudges. I want to let bygones be bygones. We all need to work together for the future of the party.'

The words echoed those of Mr Salmond last week when he made it clear he intended to bring back other leading figures in the party back into his fold. 'There'll be no recrimination, no past history,' he said. 'Everybody starts from day one. I think that's how it should be done, because that is the obligation of leadership,' he said.

Last night, Mr Salmond welcomed Mr Neil's endorsement. 'I never admit to surprise, but I welcome the support. I had not thought about this, but I welcome backing from all quarters,' he said.

However, away from the election for the leadership, which Mr Salmond is looking increasingly likely to win, he will be acutely aware that the battle for the soul of the party and its future political direction is now focused on the contest for the deputy leadership.

Because Mr Salmond is not an MSP, the role of deputy is vitally important since it is he or she who will face Jack McConnell, the First Minister, in the Holyrood chamber. Mr Salmond wants that role to be filled by Ms Sturgeon, but the fundamentalist, who make up some 30 per cent of the SNP's membership, have a vested interest in rejecting that joint bid.

Mr Salmond's strong left-of-centre manifesto has certainly appealed to the fundamentalists and they also recognise his popularity with the public, but, crucially, they need a counter-balance to his leadership, hence the sting in the tail of Mr Neil's endorsement.

Given what some have described as an inability by Ms Sturgeon to rouse the membership during the campaign - and Ms Grahame's proven credentials as a fundamentalist - Mr Neil's choice should hardly come as a surprise. Mr Neil and his supporters know that with Ms Sturgeon pulling the strings in Holyrood, Mr Salmond would have much greater power over the party and the fundamentalists see themselves as once again out in the cold.

If, however, Ms Grahame or Fergus Ewing, the third candidate for the deputy leadership, is elected instead, Mr Salmond will be forced to strengthen his position by seeking allies across the breadth of the party.

John Curtice, the professor of politics at Strathclyde University, said it made perfect sense for the abandoned fundamentalist wing to reject Mr Salmond's running mate.

'They will be sending Mr Salmond a message that he is only their leader because they put him there,' he said.

'Ms Sturgeon would not win any contest without riding on the back of Mr Salmond's coat tails. It remains to be seen how strong those coat tails will be.'