Alba Party: What does Alba mean? Alex Salmond’s new party to take down Sturgeon
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Scotland’s former first minister Alex Salmond has announced he is setting up a new political party to run in the Scottish Parliament elections in May. Mr Salmond said the Alba Party will be a list party under his leadership.
Mr Salmond said: “Over the next six weeks we will promote new ideas about taking Scotland forward, giving primacy to economic recovery from the pandemic and the achievement of independence for our country.
“We expect to field a minimum of four candidates in each regional list and we’re hoping to elect Alba MSPs from every area of Scotland.”
The former first minister said the aim of the party was to work towards a “successful, socially just, environmentally responsible, independent country”.
He said the last Holyrood elections had one million “totally wasted independence” votes on the regional list, but the number could reach 90 with the Alba Party.
Read More: Sturgeon humiliated as candidate quits SNP for Salmond’s party
Among the candidates for the Alba Party are Chris McEleny, an SNP councillor in Inverclyde.
As he announced his new party Mr Salmond said: “Today, Alba is hoisting a flag in the wind, planting our Saltire on a hill.
“In the next few weeks, we’ll see how many will rally to our standard.”
The 2021 Scottish Parliament election is due to take place on Thursday, May 6.
Mr Salmond served as Scotland’s first minister between 2007 and 2014.
He stood down as leader following defeat in the 2014 independence referendum.
Mr Salmond was replaced by his former deputy, Nicola Sturgeon, who has led the SNP party since his resignation.
The pair have been at loggerheads in recent years, and on Wednesday Mr Salmond announced plans to take legal action over the “conduct” of the Scottish Government’s top civil servant Leslie Evans
Alba is the Gaelic name for Scotland.
According to Definitions.net Alba “is cognate to Alba in Irish and Nalbin in Manx, the two other Goidelic Insular Celtic languages, as well as similar words in the Brythonic Insular Celtic languages of Cornish and Welsh also meaning Scotland.”
The former SNP leader told potential supporters to vote for his old party in constituency seats or an “independence” party.
Mr Salmond added: “The Alba Party is a list party, we are standing only in the list. We are not challenging the SNP in the constituencies.
“Indeed we are saying vote SNP or for an independence party on the constituency section.
“We are giving that support. Our campaign that we have launched is going to be entirely positive.”