15 February 2023 , 18:04
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Nicola Sturgeon's predecessor as Scottish First Minister has welcomed her decision to step down - saying the move is an "opportunity to reset" the independence movement.
Alex Salmond had a very public falling out with Ms Sturgeon after he was accused of sexual harassment - which he was later cleared of - and has since been one of her fiercest critics.
Mr Salmond, now leader of the breakaway Alba Party, last week accused her of setting back the independence campaign with her "self-indulgent nonsense" gender reforms.
This morning Ms Sturgeon announced she was quitting at a hastily-called press conference in which she described the heavy toll leadership can take.
Her former mentor - who was a close ally before Ms Sturgeon became First Minister - welcomed her departure.
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Alex Salmond has welcomed Nicola Sturgeon's decision to step down (PA)Mr Salmond told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme: "Well, what I see as an opportunity is to reset the independence movement."
He said there was a lot riding on the choice of successor, saying: "If you get somebody who is looking to reunite the movement, perhaps through the vehicle of an independence convention, whereby you take a range of parties, and indeed cross-party movements, and bring it under the same tent, then that would be a highly significant move.
"Not just by reuniting the movement, which would be a good idea, but also, I think, by separating the case for independence on the day-to-day business of government."
He described Ms Sturgeon as "dominant", but said this was becoming a problem as the Scottish government hit choppy waters.
"Nicola was very, very dominant within the SNP government in terms of decision-making," he said.
"And that's great when things are going well, but when things start to come unstuck, as they have been over the last few months, then one thing you have to be aware of is the cause of the case for independence suffering from the day-to-day problems of government."
Mr Salmond had previously attacked Nicola Sturgeon over gender reform laws (PA)Mr Salmond has previously called on Ms Sturgeon to drop controversial gender reform laws which been blocked by the UK government.
Under new legislation approved by the Scottish Parliament, the age that people can apply to change their gender would be lowered to 16. The need need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria in order to get a gender recognition certificate (GRC) would also be ignored.
A scathing Mr Salmond claimed the divisive issue was undermining the drive for Scottish independence.
He was filmed telling an audience at a Burns Night dinner: "Thirty years of gradually building, building, building until we get independence over 50% and then thrown away with some self-indulgent nonsense which even if it was right - which it is nae - would hardly be tactically the most astute manoeuvre when we're meant to be taking Scotland to its next date with destiny."
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Last week he told Times Radio last week: "If you continue to conduct the argument about Scottish self determination, Scottish independence, having this issue (gender reform) as the touch point and the conflict between Westminster then it would be untenable.
Ms Sturgeon today confirmed she will step down after more than eight years as First Minister"You must get off this issue and onto issues where the Scottish Parliament has vast and overwhelming support like the pure poverty in our land of energy plenty, like the European issue, and like Scotland's essential right to self determination.
"These are the issues where you should be battling with Westminster, where Scotland, by majority, is right behind you. Not an issue where Scottish support is A divided and B that division of opinion is against you rather than for you.'
Mr Salmond and Ms Sturgeon have a bitter relationship. They fell out after Mr Salmond was accused of a string of sex offences.
The Scottish government was forced to admit it had acted unlawfully and paid more than £500,000 in legal fees after Mr Salmond claimed it was plotting against him when two civil servants claimed to have been sexually harassed.
Ms Sturgeon referred herself to an independent ministerial ethics body after conceding that she'd spoken to Mr Salmond on the phone about the claims.
He was arrested in 2019, but the following year was cleared of 13 charges including attempted rape.
Mr Salmond claimed the allegations, by nine women, had been made for political purposes, and described them of "deliberate fabrications".
But Ms Sturgeon accused him of voicing false conspiracy theories and said he was angry as she didn't "collude" with him to make the allegations "go away".
In a statement on Twitter today, he said: "There has been no question of Nicola's talents as a first-rate political communicator and election winner and - having been there - I feel for her personally on the day of her resignation.
"There are two questions for the future.
"One is that the movement has been left with no clear strategy for independence. The previously accepted referendum route has been closed and the de facto referendum/election proposal is now, at best, up in the air.
"Secondly, there is no obvious successor. There are a range of able people in the SNP but they will now be tested in the fire of leadership, inheriting a range of serious Government policy challenges.
"It is to be hoped that those voices which wish to reunite the national movement emerge to win that contest."