For all Alex Salmond’s many flaws, he understood the business world. Liked it, even. Liked its leaders and was relaxed in their company. He understood the necessary role the private sector played in wealth creation, which could then be used to fund public services.
His successor Nicola Sturgeon was never comfortable in this environment. I’ve lost count of the number of businesspeople who have told me of attending meetings and dinners with Sturgeon and being discomfited by her seeming lack of interest in the conversation and the issues being discussed. Sturgeon was a social justice politician, happier among pressure groups, third-sector types and charities. No surprise – she once told me Michael Foot was her favourite Labour leader.
Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month
Content from our partners
