Alex Salmond blasted the SNP’s independence strategy as “ludicrous” as he urged demoralised voters to back Alba in Dundee.
Describing the Yes-voting City of Discovery as his “favourite” city, he said it was a visit there in 2014 that made him realise the scale of momentum behind the Yes movement.
And it’s a momentum he’ll need to resurrect to make a dent in the general election.
Alba candidates Alan Ross and Ghazi Khan are seeking support in the city’s two constituencies, Dundee Central and Arbroath and Broughty Ferry.
Launching Alba’s General Election campaign outside the V&A museum, a relaxed-sounding Mr Salmond told The Courier he’d be appealing to disaffected SNP voters.
He described his former party’s strategy of “relying on Keir Starmer to allow a referendum” as “ludicrous”.
Mr Salmond said: “It’s obvious the SNP are losing about half the vote they had 10 years ago.
“Our message is not to waste your vote on the unionist parties and vote for a real independence party in Alba.”
SNP indy policy ‘ludicrous’
The party is standing 20 candidates across Scotland, including Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy where incumbent MP Neale Hanvey is seeking re-election.
Mr Salmond isn’t among the candidates though. He set his sights on the Scottish Parliament election in 2026, where he aims to stand for the North East region which stretches from Dundee to Fraserburgh.
He hopes to use the Westminster ballot to “introduce the idea that independence will have to be won at the ballot box”.
Mr Salmond continued: “We’re not going to be granted a referendum by Keir Starmer, the SNP policy on that is just ludicrous.”
Mr Salmond admitted that even if 20 Alba candidates were elected, Scotland would be no closer to independence than if they voted SNP.
But he said: “There’s two options here. You can do the same thing over and over again expecting a different result, that’s what the SNP is doing, which is madness.
“Or alternatively you can use elections as the mandate, and it has to be a popular mandate. I’m not claiming we can do that at this election but we can introduce the argument.
Local matters
“If we can get that across in this election here in Dundee, then in two years time that argument will sweep the country.”
The SNP has been approached for comment.
Alan Ross and Ghazi Khan also spoke to The Courier about their priorities.
Mr Ross, who is standing in Dundee Central, said: “I’ll be campaigning on drugs and alcohol related deaths.
“I currently work in the only rehab facility in Dundee, and the Scottish Government have admitted themselves they’ve taken their eye off the ball.
“I’ll be campaigning for a lot more residential rehab. [The SNP] have taken their eye off the ball with just as they have with Scottish independence.
Arbroath and Broughty Ferry candidate Mr Khan added: “I’ve been speaking to constituents and there is four key policies; independence, education, affordable housing and tackling poverty.
“People are saying three different things, that the Conservatives have become complacent, that they don’t believe in the SNP and they don’t believe in Keir Starmer.
“They are thinking about spoiling their ballot but i’ve been out engaging with them and saying their vote does matter if they give it to the right person.”
Elsewhere on the campaign trail, SNP leader John Swinney conceded his party “has a lot of ground to cover” to catch up with Labour.
Asked if that meant the SNP was now fighting this election as the “underdog”, he pointed to his campaign in Perth in 2017.
“It is quite a good way to fight an election campaign, if I think back to the contest in 2017 in my own local area, Perth and North Perthshire.”
Meanwhile Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey visited Fife, where he predicted there could be “more liberals than nationalists” in the new parliament.
Sir Ed said: “I think there is a massive desire to get rid of the Conservatives in Westminster and also, actually, to get rid of the SNP
“I think the Liberal Democrats can be the third party in UK politics again.”
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