Alex Salmond off the ropes but punching too fiercely to win favour

The First Minister seemed to be keenly aware that he is widely viewed to have been outboxed by Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont during recent Holyrood clashes, with a series of below-par showings on issues such an independent Scotland keeping the pound.

Mr Salmond delivered a few sharp jabs at his Labour opposite number as he attacked the party’s former prime ministers Gordon Brown and Tony Blair over their alleged links to Rupert Murdoch, despite his own widely reported meetings and communication with the media mogul.

Mr Salmond also came out of the SNP corner fighting with a well-timed punch aimed at Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson as he called on his opponent in the blue corner to “sort out her own hoose”.

There was also a swipe at the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie. Mr Salmond came at Mr Rennie with an uppercut after he asked the First Minister about a decision to allow chief executive of Scotland’s economic development agency, Lena Wilson. to take a second job.

But for all the talk about a return to form for the self-styled heavyweight champ of Scottish politics, yesterday’s clashes at Holyrood saw the re-emergence of traits that some would view as bullying. There was a somewhat below the belt attack on Scottish Labour’s youth unemployment spokeswoman Kezia Dugdale who Mr Salmond accused of running a “disreputable campaign” simply because the MSP dared to challenge the SNP’s record over apprenticeships for young people.

Ms Dugdale hit back later during a lengthy Holyrood debate on this issue of youth unemployment, when she raised the SNP’s record on youth apprenticeships again. But for those who witnessed Mr Salmond’s tirade at Ms Dugdale, it was hard not to say that the SNP leader was back to his most bombastic.

So, overall a points victory for Mr Salmond and a return to fighting form for him – post the Leveson Inquiry – albeit with a few points deducted for overly aggressive punching.