Underdog Salmond is ‘taking a swing’ at established parties

Alex Salmond said Alba is “taking a swing” at established parties, as he visited a boxing gym owned by one of his candidates.

The former first minister said he believes pollsters forecasting defeat for new parties will end up with “egg all over their face”.

A number of recent polls have put Alba in single figures on the regional list vote, with some analysis suggesting the party will struggle to elect any MSPS.

Mr Salmond said he was celebrating the reopening of gyms as he stepped into a ring owned by Alex Arthur, an ex-boxing champion and Alba candidate.

Mr Salmond told the PA news agency: “Alba in this campaign are the plucky underdog. We’re coming into the ring, we’ve been four weeks in existence and we’re taking a swing at the established parties.

“We’ve got every hand turned against us in this campaign, the establishment media, the mainstream media, we’re getting blacked out of television.

“But our strength is in the communities around Scotland and that’s what’s going to prevail.”

Mr Salmond added his new party could still break through, saying: “Alba is rising at the present moment and the pollsters are going to end up with egg all over their face.

“There are difficulties in how you measure a new party – because polling is weighted by previous party preferences.

“If you don’t have any previous preferences it’s very difficult to measure a new party.”

Mr Salmond said Alba could win representation in every region of Scotland.

UP FOR A FIGHT: Alex Salmond insists detractors will have ‘egg all over their face’.