IT was an intriguing contrast proferred by the Liberal Democrats' Willie Rennie: Alex Salmond as Mr Bean or Alex Salmond as a pseudo Foreign Secretary.

 

The problem for Nicola Sturgeon and, indeed Angus Robertson, is how to deploy the "big beast" at Westminster. One loyal Nationalist colleague suggested the question answered itself. "Alex," he made clear, "will deploy himself."

That, of course, might be the problem for the party leadership.

There is, no doubt, a big upside to having such a formidable politician in your team. Mr Salmond, in his new role as the SNP's foreign affairs spokesman, will use his time on the green benches to, as he said, put forward a "pro Europe, pro developing world, against military adventurism" approach but, in so doing, seek to scare the living daylights out of the Conservative Right.

But there could also be a downside. As Mr Salmond's profile is raised and the media circus seeks its entertainment at his feet, the ex-First Minister might begin to let rip with colourful statements and accrue attention to create effectively an alternative powerbase to Ms Sturgeon and take the focus away from Mr Robertson in his bid to cut a more significant political figure now he has a party of 56 MPs to lead.

It was interesting to see that the first most people knew of Mr Salmond's appointment was not from the party leader but from the Gordon MP himself on Twitter.

Of course, it will be ironic that in the forthcoming referendum campaign Mr Salmond, in putting forward a pro Europe policy, will be joining forces and finding common cause with pro European Labourites, pro European Liberal Democrats and, even, dare I suggest, pro European Conservatives.

It bodes the question that in the Yes and No campaigns on the matter of EU membership, would the former party leader share a platform with his Europhile chums?

How times change as separatists become Unionists; in a European sense, that is.