Salmond to step down as FM and SNP leader
In an unexpected move, Scotland’s First Minister and SNP leader Alex Salmond has announced his intention to step down from both positions following today’s independence referendum result.
Mr Salmond will remain leader and First Minister until SNP conference in November. He said that being First Minister of Scotland has been “the privilege of my life”.
He also made clear that he intends to continue as an MSP and will stand again as a candidate in future elections.
What next?
Mr Salmond chose not to back a successor.
He told selected reporters that a successor would be in place by SNP conference which will take place between 13-15 November in Perth. Leadership will be decided by a membership election.
The new leader will then become First Minister following Parliamentary procedure the following week.
Analysis
Mr Salmond, in a clearly strategic move, chose to reveal elements of his morning telephone conversation with the Prime Minister David Cameron. He accused the Prime Minister of backing away from their devolution timetable devised by Gordon Brown.
Mr Salmond also inferred that Labour and Conservative cooperation over further devolution was already fragmenting. He emphasised to his supporters that ”We now have the opportunity to hold Westminster’s feet to the fire on the “vow” that they have made to devolve further meaningful power to Scotland. This places Scotland in a very strong position.”
When asked the question, ‘was the electorate duped?’ He responded that over two million were persuaded that something else was to be offered. He said that the people of Scotland would be “incandescent” with slippage to the timetable already.
Mr Salmond’s resignation and commitment to hold Westminster to account may be viewed as a political masterstroke in the fullness of time. He has also cleared the way for a “nevererendum” in the words of Daily Record’s political correspondent Torcuil Crichton.
As far as independence is concerned, on this morning’s result, Mr Salmond reflected that he had taken Scotland to “the base camp, not far off the summit”.