Former Kiwi journalist could be key to Scottish independence

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond, left, with leader of the pro-Union Better Together campaign Alistair Darling . Photo / AP

A former New Zealand journalist could prove the difference between Scotland gaining its independence and remaining as part of the United Kingdom.

Scott Chisholm, who cut his teeth as a cub reporter for the Otago Daily Times newspaper, coached long-time British Labour Party politician Alistair Darling to a resounding debate victory over Scots First Minister Alex Salmond, according to The Times. Chisholm, a burly veteran TV news anchor who left Sky after a newsroom punch-up, was the "secret weapon" behind the first televised debate on Scottish independence.

His method -- "Pitch it at a 10-year old" -- is infamous in UK media circles for helping politicians to get their point across.

It apparently worked during the high-profile debate between Salmond and Darling, former UK chancellor and chairman of the pro-UK umbrella group Better Together, which drew an estimated audience of 1.7 million viewers on August 5.

The first minister was booed and heckled as Darling repeatedly challenged him over the detail of how independence would work in practice.

A usually reserved Darling, once called "the most boring man in British politics", drew loud applause when he told Salmond: "Any eight-year old can tell you the flag of a country, the capital of a country and its currency. I presume the flag is the Saltire, I assume our capital will still be Edinburgh, but you can't tell us what currency we will have. What is an eight-year-old going to make of that?"

Chisholm is favoured by British political parties for his discretion and low-profile.

He refused to comment when approached by The Times on whether he worked with Darling.

Chisholm started his career in 1970 at the Otago Daily Times before crossing the Tasman in 1974 to report for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in Sydney. He won several media awards in Australia for his hard-edged journalism.

In the 1980s he moved to the UK to work in the rising sphere of satellite TV news before joining Sky News when it launched in 1989.

Chisholm was a popular presenter until 1993 when he left the station after a newsroom brawl with fellow presenter Chris Mann.

Chisholm then set up a media training company and was feted for turning now Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg into the surprise TV star of the 2010 general election.

During one seminar on the tricks of TV appearances, PR Week reported Chisholm telling the gathering: "Pitch it at a ten-year-old. If you use words that viewers have to process in order to understand, then they will miss the next three to six words you say."

A referendum on whether Scotland should be an independent country and sever its 307-year-old political union with England will take place on September 18.

An ICM survey for the Scotland on Sunday newspaper this weekend found a majority (55 per cent) supported a No vote.