Alex Salmond launches new Alba Party to stand in Holyrood elections

Former first minister Alex Salmond has announced he is setting up a new political party to run in the Scottish Parliament elections in May.

In a video broadcast, Salmond said the Alba Party would stand regional list candidates in order to achieve a “supermajority” in favour of Scottish independence at Holyrood.

He said: “Over the next six weeks we will promote new ideas about taking Scotland forward, giving primacy to economic recovery from the pandemic and the achievement of independence for our country.

“We expect to field a minimum of four candidates in each regional list and we’re hoping to elect Alba MSPs from every area of Scotland.”

Chris McEleny, an SNP councillor in Inverclyde, has resigned from the Nationalists to stand in the West of Scotland for the Alba Party.

Eva Comrie will stand in the Mid-Scotland and Fife region and Cynthia Guthrie in South of Scotland.

Salmond said the aim of the party was to work towards a “successful, socially just, environmentally responsible, independent country”.

He claimed the launch of the party – founded by journalist Laurie Flynn – could help stop votes from being wasted.

He said the last Holyrood elections had one million “totally wasted independence” votes on the regional list, but the number could reach 90 with the Alba Party.

“Today, Alba is hoisting a flag in the wind, planting our Saltire on a hill,” he said.

“In the next few weeks, we’ll see how many will rally to our standard.”

The statement comes after Mr Salmond announced plans to take legal action over the “conduct” of the Scottish Government’s top civil servant Leslie Evans.

He said the Permanent Secretary failed to take “real responsibility” for failings highlighted in two reports this week about the Government’s investigation of harassment complaints against him.

Following Salmond’s announcement, the SNP released a statement saying: “This is perhaps the most predictable development in Scottish politics for quite some time.

“At this time of crisis, the interests of the country must come first and should not be obscured by the self interest of someone who shows no sign whatsoever of reflecting on serious concerns about his own conduct – concerns which, to put it mildly, raise real questions about the appropriateness of a return to public office.

“The SNP has led the country through the last twelve months of the Covid pandemic, and at this election we offer the experienced, responsible and forward looking leadership that the country needs.”