Played a Blinder
The first Alex Salmond v Alistair Darling independence debate was a mixed bag, but my immediate reaction after last night's 'Round Two' is that Scotland's First Minister won all the key arguments hands down.
Despite a better than expected performance last time round, Alistair Darling seemed terribly nervous and kept banging on about the currency union despite his question being answered over and over again.
Alistair was also uncharacteristically rude and for some reason refused to call the First Minister by his name, Alex, or his official title which was odd because he's normally such a pleasant man.
So Alex Salmond was able to land convincing blows on the currency union, keeping the pound, Scotland's share (or otherwise) of the UK's debt, the costs of replacing Trident, the future of the NHS and the way a modern democracy in Scotland should work.
The First Minister also offered a role to his opponent in Team Scotland if the Scottish people vote Yes on 18 September, thereby holding himself out as the 'bigger man' and a less tribal, partisan politician.
In the process he posed an awkward question for Alistair Darling and his colleagues: "Does the Scottish Labour Party hate the SNP more than it loves Scotland?"
Independence Debate (6 August 2014)
I watched the big independence debate last night between Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling which I enjoyed much more than I expected although as an undecided voter I didn't hear anything particularly new from the 'Yes' and 'Better Together' campaigns.
Overall I thought that Alex Salmond put across a more compelling case and was the more accomplished performer, but I've always had time for Alistair Darling who used to be my constituency MP in Edinburgh.
Because Darling has a quiet integrity, in my view, which showed when as Chancellor of the Exchequer he stood up to the bullying behaviour from Gordon Brown and his allies for telling the truth, as Darling saw things, over the scale and seriousness of the 2008 financial crash.
On the night Salmond was, for the most part, calm, reasonable and very measured while Darling tried to change his outwardly dull political persona by transforming himself into a cross between Mr Angry and the Incredible Hulk at times.
But both men were unconvincing at different times: Salmond over the credibility of his plans for a currency union, post-independence, based on the the current pound sterling; Darling over new powers for the Scottish Parliament and whether he agreed with the Prime Minister, David Cameron, that 'Scotland is perfectly capable of becoming a successful, independent country'.
As an experienced negotiator myself over many years, I can understand Alex Salmond's desire not to debate Plan B or C if a currency union doesn't come about, but surely the way to deal with that is to be straightforward and say that whatever happens Scotland would keep using the pound until a currency union is agreed or alternative arrangements are put in place. Either way this is a matter for future negotiation.
On the other hand I didn't understand Alistair Darling's reluctance to say that he agreed with David Cameron about Scotland's ability to stand on its own two feet - what 'in the name of the wee man' is difficult about that? It makes Alistair and the BT campaign sound shifty and unconvincing, unwilling to call a spade a spade.
