OH DO PUT A CORK IN IT, ALEX!

Champagne-swigging Salmond ridiculed as he compares himself to Nelson Mandela and boasts of bringing down government

ALEX Salmond was ridiculed last night after he boasted of becoming Westminster’s kingmaker while quaffing pink champagne and saying that he ‘identifies’ with Nelson Mandela. Seemingly still unable to come to terms with his referendum defeat, the former First Minister continued to overshadow his successor Nicola Sturgeon with a self-regarding interview for New Statesman magazine.

Before a vote has even been cast in the General Election, he predicted the stars will be in ‘alignment’ for his triumphant return to Westminster as power broker, and vowed to crowbar Ed Miliband into No 10. Mr Salmond also said he would make it impossible for David Cameron to govern if the Conservative leader fails to secure a majority in May’s election.

Last night, Tory MSP Alex Johnstone said: ‘Nicola Sturgeon must wish that Alex Salmond would just shut up.’

Earlier this year, Miss Sturgeon slapped down her predecessor by insisting that she would lead any post-election negotiations

at Westminster. But Mr Salmond continued to publicise his plans yesterday, claiming he would join forces with Labour to ‘lock out’ the Tories by voting down any attempt by Mr Cameron to pass a Queen’s Speech.

Scottish Labour Party chairman Jamie Glackin said: ‘You’d be forgiven for thinking he was still leader of the SNP.’

The New Statesman article reveals how, during the interview in London, Mr Salmond ordered pink champagne to toast the launch of his widely mocked referendum diaries, accompanying it with fish, chips and mushy peas.

Asked by the magazine which ‘historical figure’ he identified with, he replied: ‘Nelson Mandela. Everybody of my generation would say that.’

Mr Johnstone said: ‘ Alex Salmond is fast becoming a figure of ridicule. This bizarre comment suggests that the former First Minister has unhinged himself from reality completely.’

The Tory MSP said the interview was ‘yet more evidence that Alex Salmond is a backseat driver, with Nicola Sturgeon looking on from Edinburgh wondering where the car is going.’

Scottish Labour director of policy Blair McDougall said: ‘Pink champagne? Lahdi-dah! I’m sure the First Minister is really relaxed about Salmond’s boozy lunches with London journalists.’

Tory sources last night said that Mr Salmond’s comments showed the SNP

‘He’s fast becoming a figure of ridicule’

was prepared to ‘sabotage’ the outcome of the election in order to put Labour leader Mr Miliband in Downing Street.

Senior Tories are considering plans to run a minority government if the Conservatives emerge as the largest party in a hung parliament.

But Mr Salmond said the (Fixedterm) Parliaments Act, which was passed by the Coalition, meant that the SNP could put Labour into power even if the Conservatives win more seats.

He said the SNP – on course for an election landslide in Scotland – would not contemplate any deal with the Tories.

Asked about the prospect of a minority Tory government, Mr Salmond replied: ‘The Tories would have to go straight effectively for a vote of confidence, usually the Queen’s Speech, although it could be otherwise, of course, and we’d be voting against.

‘So if Labour joins us in that pledge, then that’s Cameron locked out. And then under the (Fixedterm) Parliaments Act that Westminster passed but nobody seems to have read, you’d then have a two-week period to form another government – and of course you want to form another government because this might be people’s only chance to f orm another government.’

He said it was a ‘fib’ spread by Labour that the party with the most seats automatically won the right to try to form a government – pointing out that Labour’s first government in 1924 was formed after it came second.

A spokesman for the Conservatives said: ‘Alex Salmond has confirmed he would sabotage the democratic will of the British people in order to make Ed Miliband prime minister.

‘That would mean chaos for Britain, with weak Ed Miliband danc- ing to Alex Salmond’s tune. The only way to protect Trident, keep Britain together and safeguard the economy is to vote Conservative.’

Mr Miliband moved to quell Labour panic in Scotland last week by ruling out a formal coalition with the SNP.

But the UK Labour leader has refused to rule out a looser powersharing deal.

The SNP has made it clear it would extract a ruinously high price in return for propping up Mr Miliband in office, including £180billion of extra borrowing, ditching Britain’s Trident nuclear deterrent and insisting on sweeping new powers for the Scottish parliament that would leave the country reliant on dwindling North Sea oil revenues.

Mr Salmond said the SNP would amend any Labour budget to introduce ‘progressive tax rises’ – likely to raise fears of big tax hikes for the middle classes.

He also dismissed Labour suggestions it would not cut a deal with the SNP. He said the party would face a stark choice between doing a deal with the SNP, or allowing Mr Cameron to stay on as Prime Minister.

Mr Salmond is favourite to win the Lib Dem-held seat of Gordon at the election. He is likely to return to Westminster as the effective head of the largest ever grouping of Nationalist MPs. He has also predicted that his party will oust both Labour’s election co- ordinator Douglas Alexander and the Lib Dem Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander from their Scottish constituencies.