Alex Salmond’s new pro-independence party in Scotland poses a “real and present danger” to the union and needs to be immediately taken on, a former Scottish secretary has warned.
David Mundell, who served as Scottish secretary in Theresa May’s government, said opponents of independence should waste no time in resisting the new Alba party, which Salmond has said could provide a “super-majority” for an independent Scotland. Pro-union figures have accused Salmond of “gaming the system” with his attempt to win seats in Holyrood through part of the voting system designed to make the overall result more representative.
However, Mundell said that frustrations over the tactics should not distract pro-union voters and politicians from standing up to Salmond. “The important thing people have to grasp is that the threat he poses is real,” he said. “The system is as it is, so whether he’s gaming it or not is not the key. The key is that he and his party present a real and present danger to bringing about an independence referendum and it has to be stopped.”
His intervention is a sign that the Conservatives are already mobilising to consolidate the pro-union vote in the wake of Salmond’s surprise announcement. Mundell said that anyone who did not want “an independence referendum within months” needed to get behind the Tories. However, a recent poll, published before the Alba party was launched, suggested the Tories could end up as the third-largest party in Holyrood, overtaken by Labour.
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross yesterday sought urgent talks with the leaders of the other pro-union parties. He said pro-independence parties were looking to “game the system to ensure our parliament and the focus of the next five years is all on independence, rather than on our recovery”. He said “nothing is off the table” in terms of electoral cooperation to boost the number of pro-UK MSPs.
Alistair Carmichael, the Scottish Liberal Democrat campaign chair, said Ross’s politics were “far too dark and divisive”. He added: “As a football referee, Douglas Ross has a knack for uniting the fans of opposing teams. As a party leader, he seems to do the opposite.” Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, said Mr Ross “needs to grow up”. He added: “This election is not some kind of game, it’s not some kind of battle, it’s not about party politics, it’s not about individual politicians fighting with each other – it’s about focusing on a national recovery.”
Meanwhile, there was a mounting civil war inside the pro-independence movement, as SNP MP Kenny MacAskill became the first prominent serving figure to defect to Salmond’s Alba. His departure was described as “somewhat of a relief” by the SNP’s Westminster leader, Ian Blackford. “He has been an increasing embarrassment to many in the SNP,” he said. “That he is joining a party with serious questions to answer about its leader’s suitability for public office is no surprise. He should now resign his seat in the House of Commons to let a byelection take place.”
During Alba’s launch event last Friday, Salmond sidestepped numerous questions about his suitability as a political leader and his previous treatment of female staff. This followed the publication of evidence to a Holyrood inquiry that told of a culture of complicity around his allegedly inappropriate behaviour while in office.
Last year, Salmond was cleared of 13 charges of sexual assault, including a charge of attempted rape. During the trial, his defence lawyers said Salmond “could be inappropriate” but not criminal. Three civil servants testified in the trial that staff rotas were changed to ensure no woman was left alone after 9pm with him in his official residence. Salmond denied the claims.
Salmond’s opponents believe he is attempting to exploit Holyrood’s electoral system. Under the system, 73 MSPs are elected to represent constituencies under a first-past-the-post ballot. The remaining 56 MSPs are elected by a regional list system, designed to make the overall complexion of the Scottish parliament more representative of the overall vote. In the past, this has seen the SNP win relatively few regional list seats compared with the number of votes it received. Alba candidates will run only on the regional lists, which could increase the number of pro-independence MSPs.
However, election experts are warning that the political impact of the Alba party is extremely unpredictable and could inflict tactical problems for the pro-independence cause. John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, said Salmond faced a “substantial strategic challenge”.
“The success or otherwise of the enterprise will rest heavily on Mr Salmond’s personal popularity,” he added. “Though it might pick up some activists and perhaps SNP politicians the party will have little organisation or resource, and will be heavily reliant on his personality. However, Mr Salmond is not a very popular politician. According to YouGov and Opinium, only 14% of all voters have a favourable view of Mr Salmond. Among current SNP voters the figures are 16% and 18% respectively.
“Given [the SNP’s] current standing in the polls, they could well be dependent on picking up a handful of list seats in their weaker regions [to win an overall majority] – most obviously the South of Scotland and the Highlands. Mr Salmond might thus cost the SNP an overall majority – and that may well be much more important than the total number of pro-independence MSPs.”
