One of the factors spurring on Mr Salmond’s fight to return to Westminster is that he observes that the winners of the referendum are “acting like the losers”.
He scoffs and shakes his head in disbelief whilst pointing out that the SNP is the only party that has not fallen apart post-vote.
“And it was us who lost the battle”, he exclaims incredulously.
He counts off on his fingers the resignation of Johann Lamont and the short-lived “marriage of convenience” between Cameron, Clegg and Miliband as examples of how the other parties don’t know how to move forward.
He pushes his finger on the table in front of us to stress that the SNP is the only party in a strong position, as they know exactly what needs to be done and how to get it.
And he smirks whilst he brands his opponents the “Three Amigos” and gives them names like Snow White’s dwarves – “grumpy, upset and annoyed”.
“The SNP were the first party, even now three months later, that are actually the only party who have adjusted to the post-referendum world,” he scoffs, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“The Unionist parties don’t know if they’re going to celebrate their victory or whether they’re going to implement their Vow.
“They are going at the pace of the slowest ship of the convoy.
“They look grumpy, upset and annoyed that people in Scotland and Scottish people haven’t just laid down and said ‘that’s ok then’.
“The winners of the referendum, the Unionist parties – the ‘Three Amigos’ – they look and sound like losers, and pretty bad losers at that.”
There’s a pause while Mr Salmond shakes off this bad feeling towards his opponents and turns back to the task in hand – how to get Scotland what has been promised.
He is measured and calm as he explains that despite not winning the referendum and subsequently stepping down, he considers his resignation part of the SNP’s winning formula.
You can sense the disappointment he feels that he is no longer first minister, but he speaks just as passionately about doing his best for his country.
“Obviously, I loved being first minister and I regret not being first minister, but that’s not a regret of my resignation,” he explains.
“I’m now more convinced than ever, given what’s happened over the last three months, that it was absolutely the right thing to do.
“We lost the referendum, that had to be acknowledged. But what I’m interested in now is what Scotland could win out of the process.
“We are now in a position where we’re at the cusp of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, which ain’t bad.”