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WHEN Labour was trying to make itself electable again in the 1990s its media advisers developed a tick-box approach to avoiding policies and attitudes that might discourage voters. It was called “eliminating the negatives”. Alba seems to be doing precisely the reverse. In its short life, Alex Salmond s party appears to be piling up as many negatives as possible. Offensive remarks about racial minorities: check. Arouse the antagonism of LGBT community – check. Invite accusations of anti-English racism – check. Deeply unpopular leader – check. All they need to do now is kick away a few wheelchairs from disabled people and advocate seal pup killing and they d have antagonised every minorities lobby in the land. I joke, perhaps, but not much. It s been rather like an episode of The Thick of It.
VOTING for the Alba Party in the regional list is in Scotland’s “national interest”, Alex Salmond has said. In an address yesterday, the former First Minister launched his new party’s election campaign where he repeatedly pushed for a “super-majority” of MSPs to be elected in support of independence. He also outlined his party’s view on how independence could be achieved if most MSPs backed the goal. Within the first week of the new parliament, Salmond said, the Scottish Parliament should instruct the Scottish Government to start negotiations with the UK, creating a “standing independence convention” formed of elected representatives.
Nicola Sturgeon s closest aide for more than a decade to vote for Alex Salmond s Alba Party
Noel Dolan said backing the Alba Party on the regional list ballot was the best opportunity for getting a second independence referendum.
6 April 2021 • 11:34am
Alex Salmond with Nicola Sturgeon in November 2014
Credit: Shutterstock
Nicola Sturgeon s closest aide for more than a decade has announced he is voting for Alex Salmond s new independence party in next month s Holyrood election.
Noel Dolan said backing the Alba Party on the regional list ballot on May 6 was the best opportunity for getting a second independence referendum.
He said it would be sensible for nationalists to back their SNP candidates in their local constituencies then Alba on the list ballot paper, which assigns parties seats using a complicated form of proportional representation.
Nicola Sturgeon s former senior aide voting for Alex Salmond s Alba Party at election
EXCLUSIVE: Noel Dolan said there is a very strong probability Alba will take seats off the unionist parties.
10:24, 6 APR 2021
Updated
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