BRITAIN: The former leader of the Scottish National Party is attempting a comeback by throwing his hat in the ring for the leadership of the party he led until his retirement in 2000.
Mr Alex Salmond announced yesterday that he had joined the race to lead the SNP for the second time. The Banff and Buchan MP also confirmed that MSP Ms Nicola Sturgeon would drop her campaign to lead the party and instead run for deputy leader. She would act as leader in the Scottish Parliament if elected.
Mr Salmond, who initially ruled himself out of the race to succeed Mr John Swinney, said the SNP must "re-discover its heart and re-assert its social and democratic ethos".
Mr Salmond, who made his announcement in Aberdeen to applause from the party faithful who turned out to the press conference, said it was with a degree of "surprise and humility, but with renewed determination" that he was standing as leader.
He wanted to be SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland, he said. However, he made it clear that he would have no difficulty working with or for any other successful SNP leadership candidate.
Mr Salmond also rejected any suggestion that the SNP was a difficult and truculent party which was impossible to lead.
He also used his speech today to attack the Scottish Executive, saying that Labour was no more than a "puppet administration" whose free run in Scotland was over.