Alex Salmond pledges to end '˜uncivil war' with Nicola Sturgeon

Alex Salmond has pledged to end the hostilities with Nicola Sturgeon which have flared up in the aftermath of the collapsed Scottish Government sexual harassment probe against him.
Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond campaigning together prior to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. Picture: Jane BarlowNicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond campaigning together prior to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. Picture: Jane Barlow
Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond campaigning together prior to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. Picture: Jane Barlow
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Alex Salmond accuses Nicola Sturgeon of '˜rewriting history'

The ex-First Minister branded recent ill-tempered exchanges between his own camp and Ms Sturgeon’s supporters as an “uncivil war” and revealed he has told his own aides to back down, in an interview with the Sunday National.

Mr Salmond blamed journalists for “provoking” the row and called on Ms Sturgeon to focus on independence.

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“It takes two to tango and I’m just not playing this game,” he said.

“There is nothing the unionist press like more than creating an internal SNP spat.

“It is the easiest thing in the world to bounce off quotes and briefings of people to provoke a response. I have told my team that we are not getting involved. This ‘uncivil war’ stops now.”

Ms Sturgeon’s supporters have accused the Salmond camp of conducting a “vendetta” against her chief of staff Liz Lloyd and of carrying out a “smear” campaign. Salmond has accused individuals of seeking to remove him as a “political threat.”

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The row intensified after Salmond won a legal victory in the Court of Session over a botched Scottish Government probe into claims of sexual harassment against him. Salmond denies denies the claims which are now subject of a police inquiry.

He added that Ms Sturgeon’s focus should be independence.

“Nicola Should be concentrating all her energies on the independence agenda where we will never have better circumstances,” he added.

“As far as I am concerned Westminster’s Brexit difficulty should be Scotland’s opportunity.”