Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond has said he will donate one of his salaries to charity if he is elected as an MP next May. The ex-SNP leader has formally announced that he will join the contest for the seat in the UK parliamentary constituency of Gordon. It is currently held by Sir Malcolm Bruce, the long-serving Liberal Democrat MP who is retiring in May 2015. Mr Salmond resigned as SNP leader and First Minister last month, having signalled his intention to do so just hours after the Yes campaign lost the independence referendum, and speculation over his political future has continued ever since. He is currently the MSP for the Aberdeenshire East constituency, which covers some of the same areas as the Gordon seat. If elected in May, he will also continue to serve at Holyrood. Mr Salmond set out his plans in a speech in Ellon, Aberdeenshire. If elected with a dual mandate for Holyrood and Westminster I will do as I have done previously and donate one of the salaries to support youth causes in the North East of Scotland. Mr Salmond told those gathered that he does not expect there to be an overall majority at the next election and that as a result, Scotland could emerge in a commanding position. He said that there is the prospect of real power for Scotland if the SNP wins a significant number of seats at Westminster. He added that if real power cannot be exerted, Scotland faces the bleak prospect of further austerity. Play video Salmonds Career And Legacy What has struck me more than anything else, is that in the weeks since the referendum the people of Scotland have refused to give up on the hope, Mr Salmond said. For those who voted Yes the referendum offered the possibility of real change. For many who voted No they insist on the vow being properly redeemed. Therefore it is incumbent on all of us to step up to the plate - to match the spirit being shown by the people. Therefore I can tell the constituency today that I am a candidate for the SNP nomination for Gordon. The SNP, as laid out by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, would not deal with the Conservative party in any shape or form, he said. There are other possibilities, and in these possibilities a strong group of SNP MPs will have the capacity to rumble up Westminster. Mr Salmond said he had no intention of leading the SNP at Westminster and would continue to support Angus Robertson.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 10:06:59 +0000
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