Defence witness brands Alex Salmond an ‘insecure creep’
A defence witness at the recent trial of Alex Salmond has described him as a “creep” despite the former SNP leader being cleared on all charges.
Alex Bell, who served as a speechwriter and special adviser under the former First Minister, said Mr Salmond had been cleared in court by effectively arguing “I’m sleazy, but not criminal”.
A jury at the High Court in Edinburgh returned 11 verdicts of not guilty and one of not proven on Monday. An earlier charge was dropped.
Mr Salmond, who dropped out of frontline politics in 2017 after losing his Gordon constituency to the Conservatives, had been charged with multiple counts of sexual assault dating back to his time as First Minister of Scotland.
“That politics is showbusiness for ugly people is well known – what’s less understood is that it is high society for the socially awkward, Mr Bell said in a column in the Dundee Courier.
“People who otherwise would be left off the invite list get to dance all night. And Alex loved that.
“Little wonder his QC Gordon Jackson may have wished Salmond a “better man”, but instead he was the guy delighted to be let in who was going to make the most of it.
“A married, avowedly Christian man is revealed as a creep.”
He continued: “Salmond is driven by a core insecurity which is compensated for by a determination to defeat all comers.
“Why’s he insecure? I’m a writer, not a shrink. What I do know is that he will not step back. He’d rather win the argument than be right. Though the two may be confused in his mind.
“If there’s a sleaze/criminal boundary, then there is an even murkier circumstance/conspiracy blur. Alex Salmond told the court he believed there was a “conspiracy” against him. He says the details of this will emerge.”
Meanwhile, SNP MSP Alex Neil told the Daily Record: “I do not see why Alex should not be back in the party. He was acquitted of all charges. The SNP cannot ignore someone of his talents and achievements.
“I would be happy for Alex to be back at Holyrood.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: “It’s a reasonable gauge of Alex Salmond’s character that even his own defence witnesses are laying into him.
“And it seems now the former First Minister is willing to tear the SNP apart simply because he likes the idea of winning.
“This public civil war within the party of government is the last thing Scotland needs.”