oh no. Alex and his massive ego trying to get to Westminster

I wonder if her is part of a two pronged attack on Westminster, with Ms Sturgeon as the other prong? There is little doubt, irrespective of whether you like the SNP or not, that they will be an important minority party in the next election and will no doubt stick to their guns on what they want as a price of doing what is wanted by whatever coalition we end up with. I think that within 3 years Scotland will be independent, and I say that as a Scot who doesnt want it to happen.

It might help if the SNP focused a bit more on the economy and less on being hellbent on getting independence. Oil prices plummeting and their anti aspirational taxation policies will lead to dire times for Scots. Please English, Welsh and Irish people don't think AS speaks for all of Scotland. The referendum demonstrated that

You never know, though, GT

Rose - Boris has netted himself a very safe seat, he wouldn't have any other. That was one of my points re AS - he hasn't used his influence to do so.

AS makes regular contentious remarks about England and the English, whilst he might have galvanised the Scottish vote, he will do nothing to improve Anglo/Scottish relations. He was recently seen blowing his nose or possibly wiping his eyes, I can't remember, with a St George's flag hankie, no doubt he thought he was being very funny. If a prominent English politician did the same thing with a Scottish flag he/she would be jumped on by the nationalists, some can be very chippy when it comes to perceived insults, but we have to take it on the chin down here.

I find AS very difficult to like.

I have a lot of respect for Gordon Brown. He doesn't promote himself so shamelessly as AS. Wish he'd stood for Scottish Parliament.

Wonder what Boris will do about his two salaries after the election?

Only if he gets in; he may not have to worry about it.

Do you think that's why Osborne is giving the North its own powers, so that he can blame them when things go wrong in 2020?
The problem is that a lot of people with short memories will believe him.

And Nigel Farage. Gordon Brown gets a lot of flack, but he's the only ex PM who has not taken his pension.

Wonder what Boris will do about his two salaries after the election?

I really can't understand the denigration of AS - well actually I can. He is a conviction politician on the left. If he were just a chancer, he would have done what the main stream parties do and found a safe seat and eased out the current incumbent with the gift of a seat in he Lords- oh silly me, he couldn't do that. The Lib Dens are a busted flush and they deserve it The SNP could well have an important role at Westminster after the next election and they could be the one thing that saves us from GO's dystopia.

I find myself rather liking him.

Good luck to him.

Alex Salmond is quite a well known figure in Scotland, too, anno. The whole of North East Scotland did not vote no, just most of them.

Alex Salmond did extremely well to galvanise the Scottish population. The yes vote will definitely be out to get as many SNP into Parliament as possible. I would be very surprised if Lib Dems got in anywhere next year considering what they have done to the British people by conniving with the Tories.

Don't most politicians have massive egos?

Ana, the whole of North East Scotland voted 'No' in the referendum so in theory the Lib Dems should be able to give AS a bloody nose. Christine Jardine has been 'nursing' the constituency for a year now and is a well known media figure in Scotland.

Perhaps he feels he can have more influence over Scottish affairs from Westminster, being as how so much power remains there. Seems a good idea to me. Quite an obvious thing to do really.

Of course people can vote for who they want and I'm entitled to my opinion of their judgment what with it being a democracy. Just a shame the SNP cant seem to respect that the majority of the Scottish people voted to stay in the UK

durhamjen, Sir Malcolm Bruce is retiring at the next General Election, which gives AS a good opportunity to gain the seat for the SNP as he will not be standing against the incumbent, and highly thought of, MP. The Lib Dem PPC is, in fact, a woman - Christine Jardine.

Just what I was going to say, when.
You can't expect Alex Salmond not to stand because it's against Malcolm Bruce.
Presumably if the people of Gordon want another libdem, they will vote for him, but if they want SNP, they will vote for Alex Salmond.
A strange thing to say, Jane10. Are people not allowed to vote for someone else?

If Gordon voted mainly YES in the recent referendum, then of course he'll get in.

The current MP in Gordon is Malcolm Bruce, who is a good local MP (we were briefly in Gordon) but is retiring and is a Lib Dem. We have also had Alex Salmond as our MSP and he too is good. I hope he does get in.

The current MP in Gordon has a good majority and a good reputation for being a good local MP. More use to them than a granstander like AS

Hope he does get in. He's one of the few politicians who is not afraid of the Bullingdon lot.