Salmond demands ‘rightful’ place on leaders’ platform for the TV debates

Alex Salmond has called on broadcasters to invite him to the next round of TV leaders’ debates.

The former first minister, who last week launched the pro-independence Alba Party, has revealed he intends to write to TV watchdog Ofcom to complain if he is not included.

Mr Salmond said that given the defections to his party from the SNP “the case for Alba participation in debates and fair coverage is unanswerable”.

He said: “It is less than a week since launch and already Alba has a comparable number of members to the Liberal Democrats and the Greens and are contesting seats across Scotland.

“We also have double the Westminster parliamentary representation of the Labour Party in Scotland.”

He added: “There is, however, a further important reason favouring Alba inclusion in the leadership debates.

“The dominating issue of the election is independence. If the TV companies stick to their present position, every debate will be imbalanced three to two against independence.

“With Alba’s representation, at a stroke, the independence argument will be balanced three apiece.

“Watching the debate on Tuesday night, my name was mentioned a number of times with no recourse. In addition, the moderator, Sarah Smith, sought to elicit information from audience members about support for Alba.”

Mr Salmond said he “expects a positive reply” to his demand.

The comments came after Mr Salmond again appealed to Nicola Sturgeon to “put aside personal differences” and work with him again towards the “noble cause” of Scottish independence. The former SNP leader insisted that if a “supermajority” for independence could be achieved in May’s Holyrood election with the help of his new Alba Party, it could change the balance of power between Scotland and Westminster.

His plea comes just over a month after he attacked Ms Sturgeon and her administration when giving evidence to the Holyrood committee probing the Scottish Government’s mishandling of harassment allegations against him.

Mr Salmond told MSPs then that Scotland’s “leadership has failed”, as he said he had “no doubt” Ms Sturgeon had broken the ministerial code, something an independent inquiry later cleared her of.

“Debates imbalanced three to two against independence

NO ROOM FOR SALMOND: Tuesday’s leaders’ debate – where there was no place for the Alba Party leader.