Tom Peterkin on Alex Salmond MP

That thorny issue about Alex Salmond being both an MSP at Holyrood and an MP at Westminster has raised its head again.
His so-called "dual-mandate" earned him the wrath of the Tories in the papers this morning. The Conservatives released figures showing that he voted less often at Westminster than any other Scottish MP.
He also had the third worst record of speaking in Commons debates and was joint last when it came to submitting oral questions.
Annabel Goldie gleefully pointed to Salmond's website, which claims he consistently ranks in the top 10 hardest-working MPs.
Salmond has already made it clear that he won't stand at the next Westminster election - whenever that is. Nevertheless, his insistence on carrying out two jobs (and that's without counting his third job as First Minister of Scotland) is clearly beginning to rankle.
It is one thing for Alex Salmond MSP MP to annoy the Conservatives, but he should take heed of how this issue is playing in his constituencies of Banff and Buchan (Westminster) and Gordon (Holyrood).
This morning the Press and Journal, the oracle consulted by most of his constituents, said: "There is no doubting whatever Mr Salmond's workrate, but even he cannot possibly give sufficient time to each of the three roles he now has to perform.
"He has already announced his intention to stand down as an MP at the next general election. Perhaps he should give serious consideration to doing so earlier than that." Ouch!

David Maddox: Welcome to the Greens' new keeper

One small aspect in all today's excitement over the reshuffle which has largely gone unnoticed is who has taken over the newly promoted Housing Minister Alex Neil's (pictured right) unofficial job as the doorkeeper to the Greens.

As mentioned previously in the Inside Holyrood column, Mr Neil shared a small section with the Greens, known to some as the SNP pocket, at the end of one of the SNP's corridors in the MSP tower of parliament.

The interesting dynamic here is that since the budget debacle - the Greens voting down the first attempt, then being publicly humiliated in the second when Finance Secretary John Swinney effectively dumped their free for all insulation scheme - the SNP can no longer rely on the two Green MSPs to get them out of a hole in tight votes.

But, with the combative Mr Neil now occupying a ministerial office, the Nationalists have obviously decided to persuade the Greens back on board with kindness.

Step forward Linda Fabiani (pictured left), who the Greens have always seen as one of their own in all but name - "a fellow traveller" as one Green source put it to me. Added to that there are few nicer politicians to be found in Holyrood, with the possible exception of the Greens' own Robin Harper.

So Ms Fabiani may have lost her job as Minister for Freebies (cultural events and foreign trips), but she may well have the comfort of finding herself among friends with the unofficial job of coaxing them back to the SNP corner.

Tom Peterkin: Russell and referendum

Mike Russell's promotion from Environment Minister to Minister for Culture, External Affairs and Constitution seems to me to be an astute move by Salmond.
Although the two men have had their differences in the past, it has long been acknowledged that Russell is one of the most able SNP politicians and one of the "big beasts" of the Scottish Parliament.
It will fall to him to steer through the SNP's plans for an independence referendum next year - a task that will be fraught with difficulty.
Whether the nation has the stomach for a vote on the constitution during a time of economic difficulty is questionable. Gathering the parliamentary support for a referendum bill would be an achievement in itself.
With his rumbustious style this will be a challenge that Russell should relish. The elevation of Russell could also be a smart move by Salmond in another way. By setting aside any differences that may have existed between them in past, he has now shown that he is more prepared to recognise talent over blind loyalty.
The same applies to the elevation of Alex Neil and Roseanna Cunningham, two other politicians who have had a tricky relationship with Salmond in the past.

Hamish Macdonell - Ministerial reshuffle (2)

THE full results of the ministerial reshuffle are as follows:
Mike Russell is promoted from the environment to minister for culture external affairs and the constitution, with special responsibility for the planned referendum on independence next year. He replaces Linda Fabiani who is sacked.
Minister for schools and skills, Keith Brown is promoted from the backbenches (possibly as a reward for his leadership of the standards committee which punished Wendy Alexander and led to her resignation).
He replaces Maureen Watt, who is sacked.
Minister for housing and communities is now Alex Neil, (formerly the self-styled minister for Newsnight and someone who said hell would freeze over before Salmond gave him a ministerial job). He replaces Stewart Maxwell, who is sacked.
Minister for the environment is now Roseanna Cunningham, who replaces Mike Russell.
ends