Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond: TV drama in the works to chart collapse of political partnership between Scotland's First Minister and her predecessor

A TV drama is in the works that will cover the collapse of the political partnership between Nicola Sturgeon and her predecessor Alex Salmond.

Synchronicity Films in Glasgow have taken out an option on the book Break-Up: How Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon Went to War, saying the project was in “active development”, according to an article in The Times.

The company has confirmed it is seeking a writer to develop a script that will look at the rift between Ms Sturgeon and the former first minister that was linked to allegations of sexual harassment levelled against Mr Salmond.

Mr Salmond was cleared of all charges in the High Court in Edinburgh and has denied the allegations against him.

Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond: TV drama in the works to chart collapse of the the political partnership between Scotland's First Minister and her predecessor

The allegations also led to Mr Salmond taking the Scottish Government to court, with an inquiry carried out earlier this year into the handling of internal complaints by the Scottish Government.

Both Ms Sturgeon and her predecessor testified at the inquiry, which also worked to establish whether the First Minister broke the ministerial code.

It has been reported that film critic Siobhan Synnot said the story had “the makings of great House of Cards-style drama” with “intrigue, strong characters and two warring tribes”.

She said there were several lead actors she could imagine in the leading roles, including Breaking Bad’s Laura Fraser.

“Tracey Ullman has already had a crack at Nicola, though the voice needs work,” she said.

“Nicola herself suggested Borgen star Sidse Babett Knudsen, and Siobhan Redmond would be worth a shout.

“Unfortunately James Gandolfini is no longer with us, but Brian Cox or Robbie Coltrane might be persuaded to add Salmond to their acting roster.”

Claire Mundell, creative director at Synchronicity Films, said: “This story touches on so many things we as a society grapple with today.

"At its core it is an exploration of a universal story – the breakdown of a relationship between mentor and mentee as their once-united ideologies fracture.”

The company is hoping the TV series will mirror political dramas of recent years, including The Deal, following the pact made between former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown before the 1994 Labour leadership election, or Brexit: The Uncivil War.

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