Independence push used to mask failures, says Salmond

NICOLA STURGEON is using Scottish independence as a “political shield” to cover up her government’s litany of failures, Alex Salmond has said amid rail and ferries fiascos.

The former first minister said he had increased support for separation during his seven-and-a-half years in office by demonstrating “competence in government”.

But he said Ms Sturgeon’s Snp-green coalition was now using independence “as a shield for problems of policy delivery” over areas such as the ferries scandal, the Scotrail service cuts and the debacle over their handling of Scotland’s census.

Speaking at the start of the week in which Ms Sturgeon will overtake him as Scotland’s longest-serving first minister, he warned that “sooner rather than later” the “poor performance” of her government will damage support for independence.

In an extraordinary attack on her record, Mr Salmond also questioned what she had done to advance the case for separation since she succeeded him in November 2014 and warned “the political winds will start to blow in an entirely different direction”, if no progress was made.

His outspoken attack came as Ms Sturgeon disclosed that an updated prospectus for independence would start to be published shortly. She wants to stage a second referendum next year.

Writing in the independence-supporting Scottish National, the First Minister said the blueprint would be “up front about the challenges”, but would also outline the “immense opportunities” from leaving the UK.

However, Holyrood’s opposition parties have said her government cannot even get two new ferries built to serve Scotland’s islands amid warnings that the hugely over-budget and delayed vessels may never set sail.

Meanwhile, Scotrail services are to be cut by a third from today, only weeks after the train franchise was nationalised by Ms Sturgeon.

Speaking at a public meeting organised by his Alba Party in Glasgow yesterday, Mr Salmond said: “We have moved from the SNP mobilising the credibility gained by good governance to enhance support for independence, to the present position where independence is the political shield protecting the Snp-green coalition from the consequences of poor performance.”

Pete Wishart, an SNP MP, said Mr Salmond’s attack was “desperate stuff from a political party that has been roundly rejected by the electorate time and again”.