Ex-leader may be out of SNP for two years

ALEX Salmond appears to have locked himself out of the SNP for at least two years after dramatically resigning his party membership amid allegations of sexual assault.

The former first minister – who said that he was stepping down to avoid splitting the party – will not be able to rejoin the SNP until summer 2020 under its own rules on re-admissions.

Internal papers from 2016 say “applications seeking to reinstate a member who has been expelled or who has publicly intimated his/her resignation or whose membership ceased…shall not come up for consideration until a period of two years has elapsed from the date of expulsion, public intimation of resignation or cessure of membership.”

It comes despite Mr Salmond insisting it was his “absolute intention to reapply for SNP membership just as soon as I have had the opportunity to clear my name. I hope that is by the end of this year.”

He quit on Wednesday to focus on fighting sexual misconduct claims. Asked about the two-year bar, a spokesman for Mr Salmond said: “Mr Salmond will reapply for party membership once he secures the opportunity to clear his name – we anticipate by year end.

“Luckily Mr Salmond has some expertise on the SNP constitution and rules over which National Council is supreme.”

An SNP spokesman refused to say whether the rules had changed.

He said: “The SNP, like everyone else, must now wait for any legal processes to run its course. All other matters are secondary to consideration of the two complaints submitted to the Scottish Government.”