One of our greatest bards said that the world is but a stage and the people merely actors upon it. If Shakespeare was right, then Alexander Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon are putting on a virtuoso performance. The back and forth of this narrative would make a quality play or TV series: a clash between the mentor and the protégée, scandal, potential treachery and intrigue and a shock political comeback. When you zoom out and look at the bigger picture, you see the full ramifications. If, one day, the SNP succeed in gaining independence for their country, they will terminate a structure that has been in place for over 300 years.
The United Kingdom, which has already had to reconsider its identity after Brexit, would be left fragmented, with its place in the world in jeopardy. The conflict between Salmond and Sturgeon has done damage to the SNP cause, and this damage has been exacerbated by the dire economic consequences of COVID but nonetheless, in May, we will find out whether the SNP’s internal bickering has hindered its quest to attain the result that it believes is Scotland’s destiny. Like all good dramas, the stakes are high.
The relationship between Sturgeon and Salmond is fascinating. For years, the two stood head and shoulders above other politicians in the UK. Fraser Nelson, editor of The Spectator, claimed that Salmond was "one of the most talented politicians... in Europe". Salmond’s ability to bend the masses to his will was evident from an early age, as he won a landslide victory in mock elections at his primary school after promising to give half-days for pupils and replace their servings of milk with ice cream. Nicola Sturgeon’s hatred of Margaret Thatcher’s policies and the sense of hopelessness that she believes they engendered drove her to enter politics, but she perhaps lacked the chutzpah of her mentor Salmond, as she claimed that “he believed in me long before I believed in myself.” She would go on to become a highly successful leader, winning the “Scottish politician of the year” award on five occasions whilst gaining the support of progressives all over the UK.
When you look at photos of Salmond and Sturgeon together in their halcyon years, there is a strong sense of closeness, trust, even intimacy. When the allegations against Salmond came out, those close to Sturgeon claim she was devastated, with some workers apparently concerned that she would weep in public. Sturgeon spoke about how “incredibly difficult” the situation was. On the other hand, when listening to Salmond talk about recent events there is a strong sense of hurt. Underneath the statesmanlike demeanour, this is a man who feels betrayed by those who were once close to him.
Salmond is rumoured to privately refer to Sturgeon as “Lady
Macbeth” and it makes me wonder, how would Shakespeare write this incident? Who
is the Richard III, the Iago, the villain lurking in the shadows and conniving?
Perhaps there is a Macbeth - a prodigiously talented leader who butchers their
conscience in the pursuit of power. Both of them are crying out “Et tu…” like
Caesar but who is telling the truth? Is it somewhere in the middle? As always,
time will tell, and the saga will continue.
The problem with drama, though, is that it is often unrepresentative. The louder, more eye-catching individuals and events take stage centre while other more important voices are left to loiter on the wings. While the media and public have been focusing on the political duo, the women who came forward against Salmond have been accused of a conspiracy theory and abused on social media. One of the women who spoke against Salmond said she hoped that the Holyrood committee would “properly investigate the government” in order to eliminate sexual harassment but instead “what has happened is they have taken your very personal experiences and they have exploited them for their own self-serving political interests.”
It’s easy to be distracted by the people in the flashing lights. Sturgeon and Salmond thunder on while the voices of the women involved, the voices that should be listened to and cherished fade into the background - and that is the real tragedy.
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