Salmond’s eyeing a comeback
Former first minister eyes old seat in snap election
ALEX Salmond is plotting a dramatic return to his political roots if Brexit chaos leads to a snap general election, the Daily Record has learned.
In the event of Theresa May calling another vote in the coming months, Salmond has set his sights on recapturing the Banff and Buchan seat he first won for the SNP in 1987.
The former first minister has told friends he will put his name forward for a return to frontline politics, despite his current job presenting a TV programme on Vladimir Putin-backed channel Russia Today (RT).
Salmond shocked local SNP members in Aberdeenshire by strongly hinting that if an election is called, he would return to the Banff and Buchan seat, rather than the Gordon constituency he held between 2015 to 2017.
He was Banff and Buchan MP from 1987 until 2010, when he stood down from Westminster to focus on his roles as first minister and MSP for Aberdeenshire East. When he returned to Westminster in 2015 – after resigning as first minister in the wake of defeat in the 2014 independence referendum – Salmond switched to Gordon.
The 63-year-old made a surprise appearance at an Aberdeenshire East constituency meeting last month after being largely absent from SNP events since his election defeat in June 2017.
Sources revealed he was invited to address the meeting and asked if he would stand for Gordon again if there was a snap general election this year.
Salmond said he was enjoying his television job but confirmed that if an election was called, he had set his sights “further north” – a clear reference to a return to Banff and Buchan.
A local SNP source said: “Alex is at his most formidable when he’s against the electoral odds and is the underdog in a fight.
“The Tories should be very worried indeed if he’s got his sights on Banff and Buchan.
“We’d see a fired-up Alex in it to win it – and in no mood to stomach another loss to the Conservatives.
“If an election is called any time soon, he’d be our best hope at winning back Banff and Buchan.” The SNP were put on a war footing last week amid speculation that Tory infighting over Brexit could collapse the Government. The SNP’s new deputy leader Keith Brown was removed from the Scottish Government Cabinet and put in charge of campaigning.
Salmond would have to overcome a Tory majority of 3693 in Banff and Buchan, compared with 2607 in Gordon.
But Salmond remains hugely popular in Banff and Buchan. He still lives in the constituency and would carry a significant personal vote.
His decision to take the job on propaganda channel RT caused uproar but he remains an iconic politician.
Salmond has consistently hinted he will eventually return to frontline politics.
After his defeat to the Tories in Gordon last year, he quoted Walter Scott, saying: “You’ve not seen the last of my bonnets and me.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: “Alex Salmond was given his jotters by the people of Gordon in spectacular style last year. He’d get a similar response from voters in Banff and Buchan.”
Salmond was unavailable for comment.