Publication date revealed for Joanna Cherry memoir that will 'clear Alex Salmond's name'
A publication date has been announced for Joanna Cherry’s memoir, which she has claimed will ‘clear Alex Salmond’s name’
Joanna Cherry’s memoir will be released in April next year as the former SNP MP announced the manuscript has been sold to a publisher.
Ms Cherry, a close ally of former First Minister Alex Salmond, has previously said her book will contain currently unreleased information that will “clear” his name.
Publishing house Icon has acquired the rights to the memoir, which will be seen as a direct riposte to that of Nicola Sturgeon.
‘Keeping the Dream Alive: An Insider’s Account of a Tumultuous Decade in Scottish Politics’ is being billed as a revealing look at “one of the most remarkable decades in British politics”.
It will cover the period from the Edinburgh MP’s election to Westminster in 2015 until she lost her seat at last year’s general election.
Ms Cherry said she was “delighted” to be working with Icon and added: “I believe the time is right to share my perspective on what happened during this extraordinary period."
Already advertised on book sellers’ websites, the memoir is descried as “explosive and revealing”, promising to cover SNP milestones from “the party's rejection of its popular leader, Alex Salmond, to the scandals that engulfed his successor Nicola Sturgeon.”
It also claims to offer “remarkable insight” into why the party “failed to further the cause of independence despite a series of electoral victories” and offer a view on how revival of the independence cause might take place.
‘Settling scores’
However, an ally of Alex Salmond said they suspect the memoir will be more about “settling scores” with Ms Sturgeon.
“It doesn’t really seem credible that Joanna Cherry will make explosive revelations in her memoirs in regards to the Alex Salmond scandal as she had several years to disclose any information she may have had using parliamentary privilege and failed to put her money where her mouth is.
“It’s more likely that Joanna’s memoirs will be about settling scores with Nicola Sturgeon.
“On that note it’ll certainly run Nicola’s memoir close - but when it comes to sales there’s little chance it’ll sell anywhere near as many copies.”
Ms Cherry had said during a Fringe event in Edinburgh in the summer that she believed there was "a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice" in relation to the late first minister, Mr Salmond.
She told the LBC presenter Iain Dale: "I have a lot of information, some of which I am not at liberty to publish for legal reasons.
"But I have other information that is not yet in the public domain that will bolster the views of people like [Tory MP] David Davis and [Alba Party leader and former SNP minister] Kenny MacAskill, who have already spoken about this.”
Ms Cherry is expected to be a key witness in a legal challenge brought by Mr Salmond’s widow, Moira, against the Scottish Government.
The challenge was launched by the former SNP leader two years ago and is being continued following his death.
It is understood that Mrs Salmond’s decision to proceed with the case was influenced by recent accusations about her husband’s conduct in Ms Sturgeon’s memoir.
The legal claim alleges that government officials under Ms Sturgeon wrongfully exercised their authority during a sexual misconduct investigation against him.
Mr Salmond was acquitted of all charges at the High Court in Edinburgh in 2020.
In a review of Ms Sturgeon’s recent memoir, Frankly, Ms Cherry accused her former colleague of a “determined blind spot” on many of the issues she covers in her book.
In The Spectator, she wrote: “Ironically the motive for removing Salmond from the political scene emerges in the glaring resentment of him displayed in her book.”
Ms Cherry, a KC, held numerous prominent positions in the party, including Shadow Home Secretary and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice.
She was also Chair of Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights from 2022 to 2024. Following her career in Westminster, she returned to the bar in 2024.
Connor Stait, Senior Commissioning Editor for Icon, said: "Joanna Cherry has been one of the most recognisable figures in politics for more than a decade – not only in Scotland, but across the entire United Kingdom.
"I’ve long admired her no nonsense, straight-talking approach and am thrilled to be publishing one of the most insightful political memoirs of recent years."
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