Alex is not sexist, he’s just a bit Benny Hill, says Nicola Sturgeon
● Alex Salmond ‘not as funny as he thinks he is’ says First Minister
Nicola Sturgeon has defended Alex Salmond after a sexist joke he made during his Fringe show caused an outcry. The First Minister, who yesterday opened Glaxosmithkline’s new £44 million plant in Montrose, said her predecessor’s humour belonged to the “Benny Hill era”.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has defended her predecessor Alex Salmond after he was criticised for telling a “sexist” joke at his Edinburgh Fringe show.
Mr Salmond, who lost his Westminster seat in June’s general election, began a twoweek sell-out run of his show Alex Salmond... Unleashed on Sunday.
But after making a lewd gag which mentioned Ms Sturgeon as well as Prime Minister Theresa May and US First Lady Melania Trump, he was accused of sexism.
Ms Sturgeon said yesterday: “I think I would know if he was sexist, and emphatically he is not. He is not sexist.”
However, she added: “Occasionally Alex is not as funny as he thinks he is, and perhaps this is an example of a joke which perhaps belongs more in the Benny Hill era than in the modern era.”
The joke during Sunday’s show saw Mr Salmond remind his sell-out crowd at the Assembly rooms that he’d promised them Ms Sturgeon, Prime Minister Theresa May and US First Lady Melania Trump as guests.
“Unfortunately I couldn’t make any of these wonderful women come” – at this point he was interrupted by a mock comedic drum roll. This prompted feigned indignation from the ex-first Minister who insisted he was going to say “come to the show”.
But it prompted an angry response from Labour MSP Monica Lennon
“It would be wrong to laugh these comments off as a bit of banter, this is a former First Minister degrading female politicians,” she said
“Alex Salmond should know that comments like these are simply unacceptable and he should apologise. It would set a horrendous example to young men if he tries to hide behind these sexist comments as risqué humour.”
Talat Yaqoob, who chairs the Women 5050 campaign group branded Salmond’s remarks “unacceptable” and said they are an illustration of the “vast sexism” faced by women trying to get involved in politics.
Alex Salmond...unleased will run for two-weeks at Edinburgh’s Fringe. The first edition of the show saw Brexit Secretary David Davis – an old friend of Mr Salmond – make a guest appearance.
It has met with a mixed response from critics, but won a four-star review in the Scotsman.
Mr Salmond’s guests on his show have so far included, in addition to Mr Davis, the comedienne Elaine C Smith and Commons Speaker John Bercow.