Salmon(d)

There are few Scottish politicians that divide like Alex Salmond. On his day I think there were none to match him in Scotland and gie few in Westminster; you almost felt sorry for Lamont sometimes (OK that's a lie........).

He has help take the independence movement this far, a movement that now goes way beyond the fringe politics of the SNP of the 70's and 80's. Personally I admired him, sure the wee smug chuckle could get on your nerves but I admired his passion. Where my office used to be we got a lot of political traffic up to see the great and the good of the company. People like Michael Moore, Jim Murphy, Vince Cable, Douglas Alexander, John Swinney, Tom Greatrix all wandered past our desks on their way to the conference room only one ever stopped to say hello, Alex Salmond. Sure he was a populist, but there is never any harm in saying hello to the wee people.

Hopefully politics in Scotland will change post independence and the levels of engagement remain high; will be a bit poorer without Alex Salmond all the same.