Leader comment: Salmond lets himself down

We all know that the Fringe is a place where there are no holds barred '“ but when it comes to a former First Minister, we have a certain degree of expectation that he will not offend.

Alex Salmond has been accused of sexism over an attempted joke involving female poiticians.

To attempt to win a laugh with lame innuendo about female politicians is in bad taste, and it isn’t even funny.

Mr Salmond named First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davdison, Prime Minister Theresa May and US First Lady Melania Trump in the joke, saying: “I promised you today we’d either have Theresa May, or Nicola Sturgeon, or Ruth Davidson, or Melania Trump, but I couldn’t make any of these wonderful women come.”

Following a drum roll from the onstage band, Mr Salmond added: “To the show.”

Alex Salmond’s attempt at humour came on a day when First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who was one of the targets of the gag, was taking on major corporations when she waded into the row over sexist names of types of school shoes sold by retailer Clarks. If comedy is all about timing, Mr Salmond couldn’t have been much more out of step.

What is more, Mr Salmond – both during his time as leader and since – has always prided himself on being a man of the people, with the common touch, but on this occasion his judgment has deserted him.

Let’s hope that, for the rest of his Fringe run, Salmond uses his experience in frontline politics to entertain and inform in a mature and considered way – rather than trying to get a cheap laugh.