'If you feel like that, go join the bloody SNP': The row that made Alex Salmond join the Scottish Nationalists

Alex Salmond tells The Independent he joined the SNP in 1973 because of a row with his university girlfriend - a time when he was 'still learning how to behave better'

"If you feel like that, go join the bloody SNP" - that's what Alex Salmond was told by his university girlfriend from Hackney as the pair argued over Labour's commitment to Scotland back in 1973.

In an interview with The Independent, he revealed he dutifully obliged and the next morning he jumped out of bed to hitchike to Dundee from his student digs in St Andrews - he had to hitch a life because he was too "poor" to afford a car back then.

He was initially rejected by the Dundee office, who sent him back to St Andrews, but 17 years later he ended up as leader.

Nearly a year has passed since Mr Salmond stood down as First Minister of Scotland and he says he is enjoying every minute of his new-found spare time.

So what does he enjoy the most about no longer having to run Scotland? "A bit more sport - I've seen more football matches and particularly more golf," he says. He notes TV coverage has got a lot better since he was last able to binge on sport, but bemoans the declining amount of live action on terrestrial channels.

His biggest regret in politics is glaringly obvoius - failing to win last year's Scottish independence referendum - but he has confidence in the next generation of SNP figures who he is confident will one day lead Scotland to what he sees as its rightful status as a separate country.

So who does he see as a future SNP leader? "I'm a betting man and I wouldn't bet on it because there are so many potential candidates," he says. "Now you'd find it very difficult to establish a reasonable book on Nicola's successor."

What odds would he give on 21-year-old Mhairi Black, who receives rapturous applause at the SNP conference in Aberdeen whenever she opens her mouth? "At some stage very good [odds]. "When I was Mhairi's age I was in the process of learning how to behave better. She's got a fair bit to do but in terms of talent and ability there's absolutely no question."

Salmond will not be seeking a third tenure as SNP leader but you can tell he harbours at least a bit of jealousy of Nicola Sturgeon's hugely successful and popular leadership, even though he insists otherwise. "Obviously I loved being First Minister, I really had a great time," he says. "But look, everything has its time and the judgement I made last year was the right judgement and I'm perfectly content with it."

Turning to his new life as a frontbench spokesman for the SNP in Westminster, could he see himself and his colleagues joining a Jeremy Corbyn coalition in 2020? Yes, is the short answer - but there is no way he would bet on the Labour leader lasting that long.

"The position on the Coalition with Labour, a progressive coalition, would be as it was at the last election. I think if Ed Miliband had had the sense, the gumption to realise that it was actually an advantage, not a disadvantage, that if he'd argued for it differently, it would have strengthened his position. So our position will be unchanged on that.

But it is clear he does not hold much hope that Corbyn will survive anywhere near as long as five years as Labour leader, describing the thought of Corbyn leading the party into the 2020 election as "pretty heroic thinking".

"We have a phrase in Scotland - a sair fecht (sore fight). I think Jeremy's in for a sair fecht," he adds.