Salmond warns Scotland could leave the UK WITHOUT a referendum

[dipsydoodle]

Defeated SNP leader Alex Salmond this morning accused Westminster of ‘tricking’ Scottish voters into rejecting separation - and suggested the country could declare independence without a referendum.

He said the No campaign’s last minute promise of more powers for Holyrood had swayed voters – and accused David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband of reneging on their word.

But the outgoing First Minister, who dramatically announced he was stepping down from the job on Friday, claimed holding a referendum was 'only one of a number of routes' to independence.

He said despite last week’s referendum defeat the ‘writing is on the wall’ for the Union. Mr Salmond said: ‘I think the destination is pretty certain, we are only now debating the timescale and the method.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2764114/Salmond-lashes-totally-shameless-Westminster-leaders-tricking-Scottish-voters-rejecting-independence.html#ixzz3E1PUQCs5
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Yes - I appeciate its Mail commentary on Sky News. I do however feel that having stepped down he should be put out to graze for now.

[MADem]

1. Sounds kind of like "Nyah, nyah, so there" loser talk, to me.

He shouldn't have relied so heavily on internet polls. Old people, who vote, don't do a lot of business on the internet. He might have been able to overcome objections had he targeted his persuasion at the right people.

[T_i_B]

2. Salmond makes lots of big claims

Often, these claims don't add up.

[MisterP]

11. I began worrying about the Yes side 2013: the claims started breaking the very laws of physics then

[T_i_B]

12. Scotland to be covered in tinfoil

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/international/scotland-to-be-covered-in-tinfoil-2014092390921

SCOTLAND is to be covered by a massive tinfoil tent because of the mind reading space lasers. The Scottish government has ordered 32,000 square miles of foil, six million rolls of gaffer tape and 800,000 wooden poles on which the foil will sit, allowing normal life to continue underneath.

A spokesman said: “As of this morning 90,000 brave Scots had signed an online petition claiming the referendum was rigged. It would have been more than four million, but everyone else is now too scared to use a computer. Which would suggest that the 90,000 who did sign are actually working for MI5 and the petition is a UK government plot to make us look insane.

“But then again, maybe I’m being controlled from space by a brain laser. We really need to get this tent up.”

Meanwhile, the tiny country has sub-divided into yet more tribes, each labelling itself with a number representing a historic failure from Scottish history.

[gordianot]

3. The United States had a similar problem and basically settled it after heated discussion.

Scotland voting seems to have invoked nostalgia for that discussion in the United States by those on the left and right who are generally ignorant of American History. Here is hoping the UK is more civilized and the regional hotheads in the United States manage to read a history book or more likely watch a movie.

[davidpdx]

4. I can understand how those who wanted independence are disappointed

Certainly it will be up to the next generation to decide if they want to remain part of the UK or try again. I don't think the defeat means that it won't happen eventually. It is still possible.

[newfie11]

9. #1. Nt

[steve2470]

5. somehow I don't think this is helpful

I thought it was good he was stepping down, but this ? Oh well, all the best to the UK !

[DFW]

6. Second that

I was impressed how he said the people have spoken, and I respect their decision.

This is just "damn, I won't be in the headlines any more, I need to make some noise, here."

He should give it a rest, at least for a little while. Scotland seems pretty torn right now, with a comfortable majority relieved, but a very sizable minority deeply disappointed. Pouring gasoline on the flames doesn't seem like a productive move just now.

[steve2470]

7. hey friend !

I hope your wife is feeling better, and I hope you and your daughters are well !

[Jeneral2885]

8. Sure he can...

Maybe the SSBNs will test fire a Trident SLBM over his house.

[fedsron2us]

10. Unfortunate as it may seem Salmond states no more than the truth

If Westminster reneges on the promises of further devolution made by Cameron, Clegg and Miliband in that signed pledges published in the Daily Record then it my lead to a forced break up of the union. You only have to look what happened in Ireland after the Home Rule Bill was abandoned in 1914 to see what could happen. To keep the Union intact Westminster politicians have to show some vision. Unfortunately, they are already jockeying for short term advantage over the details of any constitutional settlement which does not bode well for the future. I am particularly disappointed in the Labour party whose leaders seem more obsessed with who is going to win the 2015 General Election rather than in constructing any meaningful future for the Union and the whole of the UK. If they are not careful Labour might well end up losing a few of their Scottish seats to the SNP. You only have to look at the distribution of Yes votes last Thursday to see that the areas they had the majority such as Glasgow, Dundee and Lanarkshire is also where a bulk of the Scottish Labour MPs in Westminster hold their seats. There are more than a few on the left in Scotland who regard the Labour parties support of the No campaign as betrayal and will not be voting for them in 2015. This will particularly so as Labour seem to be promising nothing but more austerity for the Scots if the speeches at todays Labour conference is anything to go by. If the SNP become the largest group of Scottish MPs at Westminster then all the desperate manoeuvring by Miliband, Balls etc we have seen in the last few days is going to be rendered decidedly pointless.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

14. There's an obvious difference between Ireland then and Scotland now.

Most Irish people wanted to leave.

Most Scottish people wanted to stay.

[Lenomsky]

15. Well said I agree totally ...

Yes voter here .. historically a Labour man but fiercely SNP these days.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

13. This kind of talk doesn't help anyone

If Scotland had voted 'Yes', can you imagine if the UK government unilaterally declared Scotland part of the UK, regardless of the result.

Salmond's suggestion doesn't help Sturgeon very much. If she is to succeed him as is likely, it will be her job to gain the best result for Scotland within the union and she doesn't need to be undermined by a soon-to-be ex-leader. Nationalism has brought up some nasty divisions and need to be calmed down.

Sturgeon is said to have better social democratic instincts than the neoliberal Salmond, so who knows she may do a reasonable job.