Salmond failing credibility test, warns Sturgeon
ALEX Salmond’s radical tactics to gain independence do not pass the ‘first test of credibility’, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
As the war of words between the former allies continued to dominate the Holyrood election, Miss Sturgeon accused the ex-SNP leader of attempting to mislead voters.
She said: ‘I don’t think Alex’s approach, I don’t think the new party, I don’t think that the rhetoric around that is helpful to the [independence] cause. I actually think it is a hindrance to that.
‘I don’t think it helps us persuade the unpersuaded and build that sustained majority support. I have no intention and no plans to work with Alba.
‘I’m ruling out having any kind of arrangement with Alex Salmond or with Alba.’
Earlier this week, Mr Salmond warned the First Minister not to ‘pigeonhole’ herself by insisting independence can only be won through a referendum. He demanded negotiations on separation begin on ‘day one’ of the next Holyrood term.
He claimed it would be in the ‘national interest’ for Miss Sturgeon to include him in talks and called for court action, a plebiscite or peaceful protests in a push to break up Britain.
But in a meeting with the Scottish Parliamentary Journalists’ Association yesterday, Miss Sturgeon was asked if she would answer the phone if Mr Salmond wanted to discuss independence tactics. ‘I have a feeling Alex won’t be keen to pick up the phone to me any time soon,’ she said. Asked if she would call him if Alba could shore up a Nationalist majority, she said: ‘No.’
Warning peaceful protests and other routes would fail to stand up to international scrutiny or prove a majority of Scots wanted to leave the UK, she added: ‘I don’t think what has been put forward by the Alba Party so far is credible. It doesn’t even pass the first test of credibility.’
She also confirmed that if Boris Johnson refuses to grant a Section 30 order to an SNP Government, backed by a pro-independence majority in Holyrood, she would push ahead with plans for her Referendum Bill.
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘We have set this out, we would take the legislation through Holyrood and if Boris Johnson wanted to stop that he would presumably have to try to legally challenge that, in which case we would vigorously defend our position.’
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said: ‘Unless pro-UK voters come together and use their party list votes for the Scottish Conservatives, the SNP plan to wreck Scotland’s recovery and force through an illegal, wildcat referendum if they win just four more seats in May.’
Asked if she accepted the Russian state had been behind the poisonings of Sergei and Yulia Skripal and what she thought of Mr Salmond’s failure to appoint blame, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘In answer to your first question, yes I do.’ But she said she could not ‘speculate on why Alex or anybody else decided to say, or not say, certain things’.
Last night, Mr Salmond said: ‘As Scotland recovers from Covid we will need the full powers of independence to renew our economy and society, which is why the drive to independence should be a priority, not something to be delayed.
‘That is exactly why we need an independence super-majority in the Scottish parliament.’
‘A hindrance to the cause’