Alex Salmond's new Alba Party announces more defections from SNP as divisions grow

coronavirus Hancock turned the tables on SNP MP Dave Doogan who asked the Health Secretary if he would match the SNP’s commitment to increase health spending by 20 per cent “to truly build back better”? First Minister Nicola Sturgeon committed the SNP to a four per cent increase in NHS spending for each of the next five years if returned to office.

SNP, which he used to lead, he quoted late poet Edwin Morgan who said the parliament should not be a place for “fearties”.

the SNP on 36% on the list vote and 47% at constituency level, which would be enough for 63 MSPs. The Conservatives would emerge the second biggest party on 26 seats with Labour on 20, the Greens on 10, and the Lib Dems on 5.

Alba Party spells trouble for the Union – but they struggled with the basics at a photocall yesterday.The former SNP leader and some of his candidates seemed to have difficulty lining up letters in front of a backdrop of Stirling Castle.Salmond launched a blistering attack on the BBC and STV for not being included in the leaders’ debates during the Holyrood election.He said: “In little more than two weeks, Alba has become the story of this election campaign.Indeed half of the entire press

indyref2 by the end of 2023 if the country is still “grappling” with covid.She also insisted she would not speak to Alex Salmond after the election and criticised his refusal to blame Russia for the Salisbury poisonings in 2018.Polling suggests the SNP is on course to win an outright majority at next month’s election.A key part of an SNP fourth term would be seeking a joint agreement with the UK Government on a second referendum.She has said she wants a fresh vote on Scotland’s constitutional

former First Minister also hit out at an apparent absence of “will, determination and statecraft” over the last seven years - the period in which Sturgeon has led the country.Salmond launched a new pro-indy party, Alba, in the wake of his bitter fallout with Nicola Sturgeon.Alba’s aim is to secure a “super majority” of pro-independence MSPs and is only contesting the regional List elections for Holyrood.However, despite preaching pro-independence unity, Salmond has criticised his predecessor’s

SNP, even if that was not a Tory.Ross made the comments during a BBC Scotland radio phone-in, after one caller said he was thinking of voting Labour because their candidate had a better chance of unseating the SNP MSP.Asked “should a Conservative vote for Labour, who have a chance of winning?”, the Tory leader replied: “I think, across the country, people should look at their individual constituency and vote for the strongest candidate, which in most cases is a Conservative candidate, to defeat

Lorna Slater, who jointly leads the Scottish Greens, of not mentioning independence during a TV debate.

Jim Sillars, who won the 1988 Govan by-election in a breakthrough moment for the Nationalists, said the argument for backing the new independence movement on the list vote was "incontestable".The Scottish political veteran fell out with Salmond in the early 1990s over differences in party strategy and became one of his most persistent critics in later years.But Sillars - who served as a Labour MP in the 1970s before later joining the Nationalists - has now pledged to back his former political

Garraway and Adil Ray on his party's ambitions for the Scottish Parliament elections on May 6. Both hosts were keen to speak to the 66-year-old about his court case where he was cleared of sexual assault in 2020, and his relationship with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Farage’s “seal of approval”. The First Minister also claimed Alba may be more likely to put off undecided No voters from backing independence.Sturgeon and Salmond have been at war over the Government’s unlawful sexual misconduct probe into him.

Alex Salmond’s hopes of returning to frontline politics could be in peril, as only 3% of Scots saying they would offer support at the ballot box. Only 10% of those surveyed rank the former First Minister favourability.

Alba Party, it could change the balance of power between Scotland and Westminster.Prime Minister Boris Johnson has consistently refused current First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s calls for a second Scottish independence referendum.But Salmond said that if a “super majority” of pro-independence MSPs are elected to Holyrood, a range of options would be available to those who want to take Scotland out of the UK.He suggested Scotland could organise its own referendum in those circumstances, with other

First Minister is “pretending” his comeback bid is about indyref2. He also stepped up his criticisms of Scots Tory leader Douglas Ross by saying he fronts a “game-playing, inward looking, childish opposition”.

campaign. SNP leader and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon took on her rivals in the BBC Scotland clash which took place just days into the campaign.

SNP. While the election campaign would usually see politicians travel the country speaking to voters, the First Minister said the coronavirus pandemic meant she would instead be "staying home".

First Minister said understudy John Swinney and parliamentary business chief Graeme Day were “mortified” over lockdown breaches on the campaign trail. When leafleting during the campaign, a maximum of four people from two households are allowed to meet outdoors.Dey, who is contesting the Angus South seat for the SNP, was pictured with at least eight supporters last week.

Scottish politics.But the Scottish Greens co-leader will join Nicola Sturgeon, Anas Sarwar, Douglas Ross and Willie Rennie for the first election debate of 2021 live on BBC One tonight.Co-leader Patrick Harvie is the most high profile Greens MSP and has been a mainstay of politics in Scotland for a number of years - but not much is known about Slater in comparison.She did however appear on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday it what was her first major TV interview.So, what do we know about

Scotland's largest local authority but will now try to win election as an MSP in May.The councillor for the Shettleston ward will stand on the Glasgow list at the forthcoming Scottish Parliament poll.Salmond stunned the Scottish political world last week when he announced the establishment of a new pro-independence party.Two SNP MPs - Kenny MacAskill and Neale Hanvey - quit Nicola Sturgeon's party over the weekend to join Salmond's new movement.Ferns is the fourth serving councillor to join