Alex Salmond demands Scottish independence talks begin IMMEDIATELY after May's Holyrood elections


Alex Salmond today demanded fresh Scottish independence talks start immediately after May’s Holyrood elections if separatist parties achieve a ‘super-majority’ of seats.

Launching his new Alba Party’s election campaign today the former SNP First Minister said that discussions with Westminster should begin in ‘week one’ of the new assembly.

A poll at the weekend suggested pro-independence parties are on course to win 79 of the 129 seats available on May 6.

With a swipe at Borids Johnson;’s refusal to allow a new referendum, Mr Salmond said: ‘Even if he can ignore a party he cannot ignore a parliament and a nation. 

‘Our task is therefore to give voice to Scotland’s modern community of the realm, to demand self-determination, to assert nationhood… 

‘That can start in the Scots Parliament immediately following the election of a super-majority of independence-supporting MSPs. 

‘Deliver that super-majority and Parliament then issues a clear and unmistakable instruction to the Scottish Government to open negotiations with Whitehall on independence.

‘That should happen in the first week of the new Parliament. 

The Alba Party leader made what he called the ‘declaration for Scotland’, on the anniversary of the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath, in which Scottish leaders including Robert the Bruce vowed not to be subjugated by England. 

Launching his new Alba Party's election campaign today the former SNP First Minister said that discussions with Westminster should begin in 'week one' of the new assembly.

Launching his new Alba Party’s election campaign today the former SNP First Minister said that discussions with Westminster should begin in ‘week one’ of the new assembly.

Mr Salmost had earlier pledged to work with arch enemy and former protegee Nicola Sturgeon today in a bid to win independence for Scotland, 

The former First Minister said that ‘independence is a bigger cause than personalities’, just days after quitting the SNP to set up and lead the rival Alba Party.

He set up the new separatist group ahead of Scottish Parliament elections in May, after a long-running row with the current First Minister over the handling of allegations of sexual harassment against him.

But while he pledged to find ‘common ground’ with Ms Sturgeon in the cause of Scottish independence, he admitted on Good Morning Britain they had yet to make up.

Asked when they last spoke, he said: ‘Way back, some considerable time ago.’

He added:  ‘Not just myself and Nicola, but all politicians have to cooperate on common cause, if the people elect Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister then I’ll cooperate with Nicola Sturgeon. 

‘If people elect Alba into the Scottish parliament, with that strong predominant list of feminist politicians, a party led by me, then of course we’ll be part of that contribution and part of the positive atmosphere. The national interest is above personalities.’

The former First Minister said that 'independence is a bigger cause than personalities', just days after quitting the SNP to set up and lead the rival Alba Party.

The former First Minister said that ‘independence is a bigger cause than personalities’, just days after quitting the SNP to set up and lead the rival Alba Party.

But while he pledged to find 'common ground' with Ms Sturgeon (pictured yesterday as hairdressers in Scotland reopened)  in the cause of Scottish independence, he admitted on Good Morning Britain they had yet to make up.

But while he pledged to find ‘common ground’ with Ms Sturgeon (pictured yesterday as hairdressers in Scotland reopened)  in the cause of Scottish independence, he admitted on Good Morning Britain they had yet to make up.

He told GMB this morning: ‘We’re trying to build an independent supermajority in the (Scottish) Parliament, basically because we think Boris Johnson will say no to a single party, the SNP,(but) he’ll find it much more difficult to say no to an entire parliament speaking for a nation.’

A weekend poll found that pro-independence parties could win a ‘super-majority’ in May’s Scottish Parliament elections, putting more pressure on Boris Johnson.

The SNP, the Scottish Greens and the Alba Party are forecast to win 79 of the 129 Holyrood seats between them, according to a survey by Panelbase for the Sunday Times.

The SNP is set to gain two seats to take it to 65, a narrow outright majority. The poll also found that the Greens will add six seats to their current two.

And in its most surprising finding it found that Alba, which only launched last week, could win six seats on the regional list.  

An analysis of the poll by Sir John Curtice of Strathclyde University put the Scottish Conservatives on 24 seats, Scottish Labour on 20 and the Liberal Democrats on five.

George Galloway could enter the Scottish Parliament as his pro-union Alliance for Unity group may take a single seat.

But it means that the pro-independence parties are way ahead, which will buoy their efforts to force the Prime Minister to allow a rerun of the 2014 referendum. 

He has refused to allow it, saying the 2014 vote, which went 55-45 in favour of Scotland remaining in the UK, was a ‘once in a generation’ poll. 

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