Scotsman editor responds to Alex Salmond calling paper ‘largely irrelevant’

THE editor of the Scotsman has hit back at former first minister Alex Salmond over his claim the paper is now “largely irrelevant”.

Frank O’Donnell said he could not allow Mr Salmond’s “ill-informed attack” on the newspaper to go unchallenged.

The ex-SNP leader, who lost his Westminster seat in June’s general election, has joined a bid to install new leadership at Johnston Press, publisher of The Scotsman and the i.

He would become chairman of the group if plans led by Norwegian investor Christen Ager-Hanssen are approved by shareholders.

Writing in the Scotsman, Mr O’Donnell said: “For those who missed it, Mr Salmond said the title is now “largely irrelevant” and that he would restore pride and confidence through a ‘pro-Scottish’ agenda.

Alex Salmond in talks to become chairman of newspaper group Johnston Press

“Mr Salmond is either ignorant of the paper’s content or perhaps he equates ‘pro-Scottish’ as being pro-SNP.

“The idea of Mr Salmond being chairman of Johnston Press and restricting his involvement to prosaic monthly business meetings seems highly unlikely.

“It has long been known that Nationalist supporters in Scotland have coveted a quality daily newspaper that supports the Yes movement and have looked at buying The Scotsman to further their agenda.”

Mr Ager-Hanssen, a shareholder in Johnston Press through his Custos Group, is expected to call an emergency general meeting to put forward his plans and said he was “totally confident”.

He told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme it was “totally wrong” to suggest Mr Salmond would be involved in the editorial stance of the paper and there would “absolutely not” be any calls from the chief executive to tell editors what to write.

Mr Ager-Hanssen said Mr O’Donnell was “totally wrong – it’s as simple as that”.

He said: “What a CEO in a company like this in a group do, they appoint editors and editors decide what to write.”

On Mr Salmond he said: “We share the same mission, Johnston Press is a 250-year-old company, it is a Scottish company, I want to take it back as a champion for Scotland.

“My mother told me about the Scotsman newspaper way back in the 80s when I was living in Stavanger and how impressive that newspaper was.

“I want to take it back to that glory days. And I share the same mission with Alex.”