The Barca is open.

Mr Smith is willing to bet that when Alex Salmond decided to return from “over the water” of Westminster to contest the election for Scotland’s First Minister, his mind wasn’t really on the perks of Governmental office.

But Mr Smith notes that Mr Salmond has now managed to enrich the cultural life of the Scottish nation with another piece of sporting memorabilia, yes, a signed FC Barcelona football strip shirt which the First Minister apparently intends to “display” in his Official Residence of Bute House in Edinburgh.

Mr Smith looks forward to the “gift” being declared by the First Minister in the Executive’s Register of Ministerial Gifts which features lots of goodies received by previous Scottish Ministers including four cases of one of Scotland’s better known beers declared by the former First Minister in September 2005, and numerous bottles of whisky.

Gifts

At least we don’t have to worry about Alex Salmond donning the shirt to join in a five-a-side football match as Jack McConnell might have done.