Brown would return to the front line to fight Salmond over NHS
GORDON Brown has suggested he could return to frontline politics to fight Alex Salmond on the NHS.
The former Prime Minister famously called himself an “ex-politician” earlier this year.
But he has suggested he could take a role at the centre of politics in Scotland again – and potentially even become an MSP – if there is a No vote.
His comments came two days after the former Labour Prime Minister came close to tears as he attacked the SNP’s campaigning on the NHS.
The First Minister has said a Yes vote is needed to ensure moves towards privatisation in England do not affect Scotland.
But Labour has rejected that argument, saying that health is devolved north of the border issue and accusing the nationalists of scaremongering on the issue.
Speaking in Kilmarnock, Mr Brown said: “If Alex Salmond wants to continue to tell you that he is powerless to do anything about the NHS while he is First Minister of Scotland under the existing powers of the Scottish Parliament, if he continues to peddle that lie, let him make way for the Labour party and we’ll run the health service properly.”
He added: “And I say this to Mr Salmond himself. Today, I’m outside frontline politics, but if he continues to peddle this deception that the Scottish Parliament under his leadership cannot do anything to improve the health service until he has a separate state, then I will want to join Johan Lamont in fighting him and securing the return of a Labour government as quickly as possible.”
Mr Brown described himself as an “ex politician” when he appeared at an education conference earlier this year.
There has been intense speculation about whether Mr Brown would stand down from the Commons in 2015 if there is a No vote next week.