ALEX Salmond’s Alba Party has confirmed the day it will release its first manifesto in the midst of “astonishing” international interest in independence, The National can reveal.
The announcement comes the day after Salmond’s former party, the SNP, published its manifesto and just three weeks after the launch of the Alba Party itself.
Since then, there’s been intense speculation about what the new Yes party will offer voters beyond their commitment to immediate independence negotiations with the UK Government.
Earlier this week Alba said they would bring forward proposals to fund free access to sports facilities for under-18s if they’re successful in securing MSPs.
Salmond has now confirmed that the full manifesto will be unveiled on Wednesday.
The online launch will follow the party’s second policy conference, due to take place this weekend.
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This will be held amidst an “astonishing” focus on Scotland’s politics by international media asking “a lot of intelligent questions”, Salmond says.
Reporters from Vietnam, Spain, Qatar, Colombia and Australia were amongst more than 100 journalists to attend a mid-week Alba event organised by the Foreign Press Association. Interviews ran for around six hours.
Salmond said: “There’s lots of interest in policy. I was asked in great detail about the economic recovery from Covid, currency, EU markets, Northern Ireland, how do you face down Boris Johnson?
“I did a big one of these in 2014 and there weren’t as many then as there were today – 50 or 60 compared with 106.
“It’s not simply because of the launch of Alba – the interest was there, Alba’s launch has provided some grit in the oyster.
“The debate has been ignited in Scotland and gone beyond when are we going to hold a referendum to how – how are you going to get Boris Johnson to back down? I hope the same examination and excitement will continue around the policy positions we put forward.”
The press conference also saw discussion around the latest poll results. A Believe in Scotland survey carried out by Panelbase predicts five seats for Alba, 10 for the Greens and 63 for the SNP for a total of 78 pro-independence MSPs.
By that count, Yes-leaning members would outstrip Unionists by 27 and Alba would secure the same number of representatives as Willie Rennie’s LibDems are expected to get.
Polling expert John Curtice (above) said the results give “some support to Alba’s claim that a list vote for them could result in the election of more pro-independence MSPs” but also show that “backing Alba on the list vote could cost the SNP seats – and, in turn, the prospect of an overall majority”.
Salmond, who has hit out at the BBC and STV for refusing him a spot in their leaders’ debates, is critical of the Scottish and UK media’s continued focus on the dynamics between him and former deputy Nicola Sturgeon.
Sturgeon is, figures suggest, on course for another term as First Minister. She has said she is “ruling out having any kind of arrangement” with Alba.
Salmond said: “The mainstream media in Scotland – you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. The national is more important than the personal. Going by the latest poll, Nicola might have to pick up the phone to me. I’d certainly pick up the phone to her, I have no difficulty with that.
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“I spent 40 years campaigning for Scottish independence, I’m not going to make personal differences come before Scotland and the prize that’s within our reach.”
The North East Scotland candidate went on: “I love the SNP and was totally dedicated to it for 20 years as party leader. It took me a long time to realise you couldn’t project independence successfully as a single party project. The dial hadn’t shifted, independence was still at 30%. It wasn’t until the high summer of 2014 when the independence position was switched to becoming a Yes movement with a multi-institution group that polling went up.
“You project that to where we are now. If you want to move the dial to 60% and more than that then independence can’t be seen to be the preserve or project of a single party.”
On the Believe in Scotland results, he said: “One poll is one poll. But it does illustrate the supermajority concept very well.”
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