Michael Portillo's documentary on Scottish Nationalist leader Alex Salmond, broadcast last night on BBC2, was almost entirely empty of any real insights, analysis or explanations.
I was no wiser after the programme than I was before.
For instance, when addressing Alex Salmond's motivation in adopting nationalism as his chosen political philosophy Michael Portillo showed us a view of Linlithgow Palace and thought "perhaps" Alex Salmond had been affected by some kind of affinity with Mary Queen of Scots. This is crass, lazy and misleading. Why didn't he simply ASK Alex Salmond what his motivation was?
Michael Portillo attempted a Kitty Kelly deconstruction of the Alex Salmond biography by assembling various people who have known the Scottish nationalist over the years. But there were not enough of them to make the exercise credible. And they didn't really say anything revealing.
In the sequences when we saw Michael Portillo actually talking to Alex Salmond they simply exchanged Westminster-type joshing comments.
You can see it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0116snp/Portillo_on_Salmond/
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