There was a time when the SNP’s main appeal was as a direct result of the thrust and vigour with which the party threw itself into the issues of the day. Furthermore, there was no issue too challenging, too difficult, that the Nationalists weren’t too afraid to stick their oar into – PFI, free school meals, minimum pricing, Council Tax, constitutional matters, tuition fees, class sizes. Everything was on the table and the nation itself felt up for grabs.

That was four years ago and the tone of the election campaign has changed dramatically. There is a certain timidity to the SNP’s mood these days; that is perhaps due to the cat-and-mouse nature of policy setting at the moment, not to mention the difficult decision over whether being in power or out of power this time around is best for the independence objective. Furthermore, there is a crowded field in the centre and differentiating between parties is not so easy.

This is all not, I hasten to add, necessarily the SNP’s fault. It is difficult to distinguish yourself from the crowd when the main opposition is intent on aping your headline policies. On that, it will surely be to Labour’s disadvantage that between his stated preference of Council Tax rises and the popular option of scrapping the rates entirely, Iain Gray has compromised with a two year freeze (followed by a cap on rate rises below inflation). Labour looked downright silly in claiming that the SNP were copying their policy on free education when Labour introduced fees in a previous term (with the Lib Dems) and have been long term supporters of a graduate contribution.

Despite the perception of a decrease in energy besetting the SNP, they should (and clearly do) remain upbeat. Political parties are a bit like football teams after all, they only have to beat the team that is standing in front of them. If in 2007 the SNP was Brazil, then in 2011 they are more like a scrappy France – not at full potential but still on paper good enough to beat the main opposition of Iain Gray’s 10-men-behind-the-ball Greece.

A second term should be more difficult to win, and deliver in, than a first. It is the natural order of things for a public to want more and a Government to be pushed harder. Alex Salmond seems to welcome that challenge and murmurings of whether the man should have handed over to Nicola Sturgeon a year or so ago have been rightly silenced. Alex Salmond does appear to be ‘the man for the job’ as many recognised Scots have stated in the Sundays, (Jack Vettriano picking up the baton from Brian Souter and David Murray today) and he does seem to have the policies to go with it. The SNP has made clear that safeguarding free tuition, protecting and increasing investment in the NHS and ensuring zero forced redundancies will be its priorities for the term to come and, with a dwindling budget, that’s as many headline policies as one can expect from whoever takes control of Holyrood from May.

The SNP conference may have denied us any shocks, surprises or major celebrations but that’s the limit of what a party in the tail end of its fourth year of Government should be hoping for. A slick website, a strong vision, an impressive record and a solid team of Ministers. That’s a decent platform for a having a right good go at a difficult election.

And anyway, the key consideration for Scots is reason(s) for a changing of the guard at Holyrood, reason(s) to risk switching First Ministers and substituting the existing Cabinet. The SNP’s front team and leader offered up no such reasons this weekend.

The May 5th ball remains in Iain Gray’s court and while the SNP may not have the same zip and verve as four years ago, it does have more and more of the court covered. There is only several weeks left for Labour to play a decisive game-winning move but, contradictory as it may sound, the party that is currently second in the polls has put a stranglehold squeeze on its main opposition.

The decisive factor for this election remains personality. This weekend Alex Salmond has proved that Iain Gray has it all to do.