Alex Salmond has backed independent Scotland to have own pound

Alex Salmond has backed Scotland to have its own currency if it becomes an independent country.

Former First Minister Alex Salmond has backed an independent Scotland to have its own currency. Picture: Lesley Martin/PA Wire

The former first minister has changed his position from ahead of the 2014 referendum when he proposed sharing the sterling with the rest of the UK.

That suggestion was rejected by the UK Government, but now, with the effects of Brexit, Salmond believes Scotland should have its own pound.

At his Edinburgh Fringe show, Alex Salmond... Unleashed, he was joined by one of Britain’s most celebrated chef Andrew Fairlie who offered the suggestion which Salmond backed.

He said: “We’re in different times, this is not 2014 … and you have to anticipate two, three, four years’ time.

“You have a different policy for different times.”

Salmond’s sold-out shows have prompted a number of talking points and controversies throughout the festival.