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The new Scottish ALBA party - led by Salmond announced just now. Wowzer ‼️

(129 Posts)
Urmstongran Fri 26-Mar-21 14:13:24

Must have been kept under wraps no-one saw this coming!

Scotland's former first minister has made a sensational return to frontline politics, announcing he is to lead a new pro-Scottish independence party called the Alba Party.

In a press conference at 2pm on Friday, he was unveiled as the new party's frontman for the Holyrood elections ahead of the May 6 vote.

Setting out its aims, the Alba Party said: "National independence for Scotland as an immediate necessity, and overwhelming priority, achieved by democratic means through a vote of people resident in Scotland.

"The promotion of all Scottish interests, and the building of an economically successful, environmentally responsible and socially-just independent country, through the pursuit of a social democratic programme.

"The acceptance by the Scottish people of a written constitution for the newly independent country; defending the rights, liberties and equality of all citizens before the law."

Urmstongran Fri 26-Mar-21 20:25:41

Feelings are going to run pretty high then I expect in the run up to May 6th?

Callistemon Fri 26-Mar-21 20:13:18

Urmstongran

I think there’ll be some wavering voters who like the idea of going for independence but are, after the last week or so, less sure of Nicola. Those will be the votes Salmond hoovers up I think?

No.
He set her up. Devious and not to be trusted.

I have never been a great fan of Nicola Sturgeon even if an admirer, but, apart from not wanting the breakup of the Union, it didnt make a great deal of difference to me.
Now I feel quite angry on her behalf.

Marydoll Fri 26-Mar-21 19:34:30

twitter.com/jackfostr/status/1375525702418718721?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

How to pronounce Alba.?

Alegrias1 Fri 26-Mar-21 19:23:57

Krishnan on Channel 4 News just asked him why he's not pronouncing it properly ?

Aveline Fri 26-Mar-21 19:21:13

I'm not a gaelic speaker so I don't use gaelic pronunciations for names just as I don't use French pronunciations for French words when speaking English. eg I don't talk about 'Paree' when taking about Paris etc. Alba is how it's spelt so that's OK with me. (I'll not be voting for them though!)

Mollygo Fri 26-Mar-21 18:37:05

Lucca, my computer must be English, because it pronounces it as Alba, as does Alex Salmond in his announcement of a new party for Scotland.
I did manage to find a couple of sites where it says Alooba, but I expect the majority of Scotland will go with Alex’s pronunciation.

M0nica Fri 26-Mar-21 18:36:19

Aveline Got it one! 'Perfidious Alba' just trips off the tongue grin

Aveline Fri 26-Mar-21 18:26:19

Perfidious Albion?

M0nica Fri 26-Mar-21 18:21:42

Isn't Alba, no matter how well based in Celtic, a bit close to the Roman name for Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) - Albion. I am sure Alba is on the lips of the Scots all day and everyday, but I would think that the similarity will provide good political fodder at some time

Urmstongran Fri 26-Mar-21 18:16:50

I think there’ll be some wavering voters who like the idea of going for independence but are, after the last week or so, less sure of Nicola. Those will be the votes Salmond hoovers up I think?

Urmstongran Fri 26-Mar-21 18:14:10

I loved that meme WWmk2!
Clever name for the new party. ‘Scotland’. Some good PR work has been done here.

varian Fri 26-Mar-21 18:13:49

Alex Salmond is a discredited yesterday's man.

Join the club Alex. Farage tried to set up another party
.
"Nigel Farage quits as Reform UK leader in step back from party politics"

www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/mar/07/nigel-farage-quits-as-reform-uk-leader-in-step-back-from-party-politics

Having pointed out the pitfalls for yesterday's men, I have to admit that the voting system for the Scottish parliament may make a difference.

Squiffy Fri 26-Mar-21 18:00:23

Alegrias1

Crossed post Petera . But mine has a video grin

That could go on the Oneupmanship thread! wink grin

Callistemon Fri 26-Mar-21 17:56:19

Must have been kept under wraps no-one saw this coming!

Oh, I think some of us did! In fact, DH and I thought this has been his plan for a while and that is why he has been trying to trash Nicola Sturgeon's reputation.

Hell hath no fury like a Salmond scorned.

Whitewave someone sent me that yesterday and I was trying to download it and post ? but failed!

lemongrove Fri 26-Mar-21 17:47:14

Britain was called Albion at one time, although the Romans then rechristened it Britannia, maybe we should go back to Albion as it sounds rather nice.

Love the mock up of Meghan/Harry replaced by S and S.
Perhaps Nicola is saying ‘ nobody asked me how I was’.

Be interesting to see how well Salmond and the Alba party does.?

Blossoming Fri 26-Mar-21 17:22:50

Sion Alba going legit ?

Pantglas2 Fri 26-Mar-21 17:22:30

Love it WWMK2 ?

Aveline Fri 26-Mar-21 17:20:00

Whitewavemark2 grin

Whitewavemark2 Fri 26-Mar-21 17:16:52

This

Whitewavemark2 Fri 26-Mar-21 17:12:16

As my MP said - this is all about Salmonds and Sturgeons ego driven squabble, not the economy, not the country, but them.

Aveline Fri 26-Mar-21 16:47:32

God only knows what will happen. Fireworks if Salmond gets voted back to Holyrood. Interesting times indeed.

Lucca Fri 26-Mar-21 16:46:21

Mollygo

Can’t find any reference to Aluba either, although one pronunciation site says
al-buh. I’ll wait for clarification too Lucca.

It’s Gaelic for Scotland !

suziewoozie Fri 26-Mar-21 16:42:00

Casdon

There’s a simple guide to how the election voting system works in Scotland on the BBC News website, and if I understand it correctly, each region has 7 regional seats as well as the constituency MSPs. This is a similar system to Wales, and we know here that the system gives minority parties a high chance of getting a few seats - it’s a very different system to the UK Government elections.

The SNP will now need to do extremely well to counteract the system to gain an overall majority I would think, but maybe this will galvanize people into giving them both their votes. It makes the forthcoming elections in Wales, happening on the same day, look very tame in comparison.

Thanks for this - I’d completely forgotten about this crucial aspect of your voting system. Sadly we’ll never be allowed it ( have you seen what is going to happen to our mayoral elections - deserves its own thread)

Alegrias1 Fri 26-Mar-21 16:31:29

Crossed post Petera . But mine has a video grin

Mollygo Fri 26-Mar-21 16:31:02

Can’t find any reference to Aluba either, although one pronunciation site says
al-buh. I’ll wait for clarification too Lucca.