Final preparations for great escape

By Tim Reid
Westminster reporter, BBC Scotland

Holidays booked, bags packed, drawers locked, and for MPs the prospect of a summer escape.

The first minister still has a seat in the House of Commons

The doors to most of their Commons offices will remain shut for the next 10 weeks or so as their long break has started.

Whether such a lengthy recess is deserved is, I suppose, a matter of opinion given that as they sped out of the parliamentary gates we were discovering in an avalanche of ministerial statements that member's allowances and expenses are heading, full pelt, towards £100m a year.

Despite the gloomy weather, however, most ministers, politicians, aides, journalists and all those who are part of the Westminster village are undoubtedly glad that summer has arrived, if not in the sunshine league tables, at least in terms of the holiday ones.

Many, will of course, point out that they will continue working for much of the recess from their constituencies.

It has been a long and eventful parliamentary session at Westminster, and this week, like many of those which have gone before in recent months, has been historic.

Daggers at Dawn

"History never looks like history when you are living through it." So said the US social reformer John W Gardner who died a few years ago.

He might have changed his view if he'd been living through the last few months with his eyes on the Scottish political scene rather than the American.

Since the first minister doesn't have a parliament of his own to speak in at the moment - Holyrood having slipped off for summer already - Alex Salmond on Wednesday jetted down to London, to make his presence felt here instead.

The Prime Minister cordially welcomed Mr Salmond back

It was a presence - physically and figuratively speaking - a little larger than when he was last here 120 days ago, not just because of his new title but since his midriff appears to have expanded somewhat too.

All those power lunches in Bute House, one assumes, though he insists he's on a diet.

He did come here too, to stamp his place in history.

First strolling up Whitehall from Downing Street (having slipped out of a black people carrier with his entourage rather than walk from his hotel nearby) and up the steps to Dover House - home of Labour ministers in the Scotland Office - one of whom had been forced to give up his office for two days so the Nationalist leader could settle in for the first time.

The junior minister David Cairns joked that he'd locked all his drawers - Mr Salmond joked that he promised not to make the occupancy permanent.

All joking aside it was a rather strange experience.

Mr Salmond, in London for the first time as a Nationalist first minister of Scotland, holding court with journalists around the table - his wife Moira, here too, sipping tea in the corner.

Feet up

It's not a sight I imagine we'll see too often - despite the fact Mr Salmond remains an MP here. Only rarely is it likely, he'll venture south.

Since he remains a member, and is claiming his full salary, he can still take his seat in the Commons and, as he did for the first time, challenge Gordon Brown, though ever so lightly, about the importance of formalising liaisons between the two governments in the shape of joint ministerial committees.

The Prime Minister, ever so cordially, welcomed Mr Salmond back, in his new position, and thanked him for the close co-operation with the UK government over the recent Glasgow Airport terror attack.

Ken Livingstone met Alex Salmond to discuss funding

Liaison between individuals or committees, he promised, would continue.

It's all a far cry from the predictions, pre-election, of what might happen if the SNP were to manage to form a government.

Daggers at dawn is what we expected, love at lunch is what we appear to have. So far at least.

Having done with the Commons chamber, it was off to a BBC television studio to explain that as part of his first 100 days in government in Scotland, Mr Salmond would as promised in his manifesto, publish plans for a referendum on independence.

For promising to keep to his political promises. the first minister has incurred the wrath of the pro-unionist parties at Holyrood.

The former MP, now MSP and peer, Lord Foulkes, for instance, described it as "arrogance and failure" on behalf of the SNP.

Large obstacle

The Nationalists responded by accusing the other parties (minus the Greens who will support the white paper) of being in "disarray."

Not content, Mr Salmond was then whisked off to another historic meeting with the London mayor Ken Livingstone.

The two leaders chatted about a route the mayor has already gone down, of funding through bond issues, the capital costs of infrastructure projects like new Scottish schools.

That though is an argument Mr Salmond is yet to have with the Treasury - the only body which can authorise the issuing of bonds.

The first minister insists, despite that rather large obstacle, that he can still get the approval - however much his opponents believe it unlikely.

Before then, he like others, may enjoy a few days off with his feet up - until the new sessions starts again at Holyrood and at Westminster.