Alex Salmond accused of ‘spinning Russian propaganda’ over Salisbury poisonings

Alba leader claimed novichok attack evidence ‘contested’

Ex-first minister’s new Alba Party is to contest upcoming Holyrood elections (PA)

Alex Salmond has been accused of “spinning” for Russia after he refused to say whether Vladimir Putin’s regime was responsible for the novichok poisonings in Salisbury in 2018.

The Alba party leader – who hosts a regular programme on RT, formerly Russia Today – was repeatedly asked by BBC Scotland whether he thought Moscow was behind the attacks on former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Refusing to give a yes or no reply, Mr Salmond said: “Evidence came forward [that was] contested, that I said should go to the international tribunals and courts. I said that at the time. I think the evidence came forward and people can see it for what it is.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael told The Independent: “Alex Salmond was once hailed as the most effective politician in Scotland, but has now been reduced to an apologist for the Putin regime.

“He has been paid by the Russian state broadcaster for years, and the result is his change from respected leader to spinning Russian propaganda lines.”

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MP Stewart McDonald, the SNP’s defence spokesperson, also condemned the comments. “Even Russians believe that Russia was behind the Salisbury poisoning … That Alex Salmond can’t see or say that plainly shows how remarkably low he has sunk.”

An Alba spokesperson responded: “This is complete campaign rubbish from the Tories and Lib Dems, who are panicked that Alba is going after their seats on the regional list.”

In 2018 then-prime minister Theresa May said the UK government had concluded the novichok attack amounted to “unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom”.

During his interview on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland, Mr Salmond also dismissed the possibility of Russian interference in the independence referendum, and described evidence of Moscow’s attempts to meddle in the US presidential election of 2016 as “very slight”.

The UK’s intelligence and security committee said last year that there had been “credible open-source commentary suggesting that Russia undertook influence campaigns in relation to the Scottish independence referendum in 2014”.

Asked about his link to state-controlled channel RT, Mr Salmond said that “not a single word” of editorial suggestion had been made to him by senior figures at the broadcaster.

Mr Salmond also accused his successor Nicola Sturgeon of failing to pursue the case for independence vigorously enough since she succeeded him as first minister.

“I think in terms of urgency, in terms of getting on with that job, I am not certain why the case has not been pursued as urgently as it should have been over the last five years, but it should be pursued now,” said the leader of rival pro-indy party Alba.

The latest Ipsos Mori poll for STV suggested the SNP was on course to win a majority of seats at the Scottish parliament election, with 53 per cent of Scots registered to vote likely to choose an SNP candidate in their constituency vote.

Only 3 per cent of voters said they would cast their list vote for Mr Salmond’s recently launched party on the regional list vote – which polling experts believe would leave Alba without any seats at Holyrood.