Five people have now very kindly said they've either nominated me for one of the three male places on the Alba Party's National Executive Committee or that they plan to do so. Ten nominations are required to make the ballot, so if you'll forgive the shameless self-promotion, I might as well try to get myself over the line by giving it one more mention! If you're an Alba member, you'll have received an email a couple of weeks ago with details of how to make nominations. I'm working on the assumption that nominations for the NEC probably close at the same time as those for the main office bearers, ie. tomorrow (Monday) at 5pm, although I don't think that's made explicitly clear in the email.
I see John Nicolson is gloating because an Alba member is trying to gain enough nominations for the position of leader to ensure a contest and prevent a coronation for Alex Salmond. "Trouble in paradise" was the sneer. As was pointed out on Twitter, though, John would almost certainly have slated Alba if Mr Salmond had become leader without a contested election. Which begs the obvious question: is there anything at all that would have actually made John happy?
Whether there's a contest or not, Mr Salmond will undoubtedly now continue as leader, and I do think that's a good thing - I'll be nominating him myself. I know there's an argument that the BBC's vendetta against him is so extreme that Alba will never get a fair hearing for as long as he's leader, but I think that consideration is more than outweighed by the credibility that being led by a political heavyweight - one of the most talented politicians of his generation in the whole UK - lends the party.
* * *
I'm continuing to fundraise for forthcoming polling via the Scot Goes Pop general fundraiser - please click HERE if you'd like to donate. 
