Alex Salmond: Timing has never been better for Scottish independence
2 min read
Alex Salmond has said the timing to launch a fresh attempt at winning Scottish independence has "never looked better" as he warned Westminster politics is “decaying before our eyes”.
The former first minister of Scotland said he had never seen Britain in more “disorientation and chaos”.
His comments come amid numerous allegations of sexual harassment and abuse across British politics, sparking a string of resignations, including that of a Scottish government minister.
Last night the Childcare and Early Years minister at Holyrood, Mark McDonald, stood down after admitting to "inappropriate" behaviour in the past.
It comes days after Defence Secretary Michael Fallon dramatically resigned following allegations of harassment, while a number of MPs are under investigation.
However Mr Salmond told a rally of nationalists in Edinburgh that the timing of the revelations could be favourable in launching a fresh bid for independence.
“Obviously our strength is great, look around the hall, feel our strength as a movement but also understand the weakness of our opponents," he said.
“I’ve been active in politics for 30 years – elected politics – and I’ve never seen the British state in a state of more disorientation and chaos. We’re Johnny-No-Mates in Europe, not a single friend across the continent.
“The structures of Westminster politics are decaying before our eyes. So this is a matter not just of our strength but their weakness. That also dictates the timing of the campaign and that is another factor for us to consider. I would say the timing has never looked better for the national cause of Scotland.”
Mr Salmond, who lost his seat at this year's general election, said the SNP government "must" hold another vote on separating from the UK at the "point of hard Brexit".
“The referendum must be held at the point of hard Brexit or at the point of transitional agreement beyond hard Brexit.”
He added that such a move would offer an “island of certainty in a sea of confusion and that would be of enormous value in winning the next independence referendum”.
"No sane person would suggest that in Scotland we should replicate the empty white sheet of paper that the pro-Brexiteers advocated during the UK referendum."
"We have to get a balance between offering a vision of a future and having something which is so detailed it goes into what should properly belong in the manifestos of the political parties contesting the first independence election after our constitutional aspiration is achieved.”
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