Alex Salmond has died. I met him twice - in 2024 and 1997.
In 1997 Salmond was the leader of Scottish National Party. At the time I was chair of the Student Radio Association. Then, as now, I had no political affiliation, but I was hoping to make it in the media.
In early '97 the National Union of Students asked me to conduct a series of interviews at the House of Commons with the major political party leaders. All but John Major - then Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party - agreed.
The idea was that I would record the interviews on minidisc, which would be transcribed for the NUS magazine and circulated to all the student radio stations to use as they wished.
I was not a very good interviewer, but it was fascinating to see how the leaders of the different parties dealt with me. Dafydd Wigley was benign and unimpressive. Paddy Ashdown was terrible at communicating and kept using my name, as if that conferred familiarity. Tony Blair was charismatic and convincing. He also took time after the interview to ask me about my situation and ambitions, which threw me somewhat. He made it seem like he was genuinely interested.
One thing that struck me about Alex Salmond was the way he held himself. It was very different from the other leaders. He had the demeanour of an exiled general, held semi-captive at the court of a hostile foreign power. He was present, but his mind was elsewhere. Plotting, perhaps.
All the interviews took place on different days. On each occasion I was accompanied by an NUS photographer. During my interview with Salmond he seemed cheerful and appeared happy to entertain the basic questions I lobbed his way.
After it was over, we stood up in preparation for the souvenir photograph.
"What did you say your surname was again?" he asked.
"Wallis", I replied.
"Ah, okay" he said. "Come with me. I've know where we can take the photograph."
We walked along various intimidating corridors until he brought me out into Westminster Hall. We descended the steps to the second landing. Salmond showed me a plaque on the floor. It read:
'Near this spot, at the Kings Bench at the South end of the Hall, took place the trial of Sir William Wallace the Scottish Patriot on Monday, 23rd August 1305.'
Wallace was convicted of treason and sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered. His head was tarred, and put on a spike on London Bridge.
We both looked at the plaque for a second. Salmond said: "That's one of your ancestors". He turned to the photographer. "Let's have the photo here".
I stood on the plaque next to Alex Salmond as the photographer readied himself. As he did so, Salmond leaned confidentially towards my ear and said with the perfect amount of conspiratorial bonhomie:
"Never forget whose side you're on."
And then he turned to face the photographer.
