Alex Salmond stepping down as Scottish First Minister

[Firewire]

Following the results of yesterday's Scottish independence referendum, Alex Salmond is stepping down as the leader of the Scottish National Party and as First Minister. Salmond was elected as First Minister in 2007.

[Brother Leon]

Bye

[Shaun]

:( he'll be missed.

[andybigbro]

Best day ever. :cheer2:

[Marc]

He was fat anyway.

[Firewire]

He was fat anyway.

:moorangu:

[Crimson Dynamo]

Sad day as he was the best politician in Britain bar none

[Firewire]

Alex Salmond is to step down as first minister of Scotland after voters decisively rejected independence.

He will also resign as leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) after the "No" side won Thursday's referendum by 2,001,926 to 1,617,989 for "Yes".

The national split of the vote was 55% for "No" to 45% for "Yes".

Mr Salmond said: "For me as leader my time is nearly over but for Scotland the campaign continues and the dream shall never die."

Speaking from Bute House in Edinburgh, the first minister's official residence, he told journalists: "I am immensely proud of the campaign that Yes Scotland fought and particularly of the 1.6m voters who rallied to that cause."

Mr Salmond also said there were a "number of eminently qualified and very suitable candidates for leader", although the current deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon, also deputy SNP leader, would be seen as a clear frontrunner.

[Firewire]

Would absolutely love Nicola Sturgeon to replace him, she's more passionate than he is. It would also be good to have a female leader.

[andybigbro]

Would absolutely love Nicola Sturgeon to replace him, she's more passionate than he is. It would also be good to have a female leader.

No thanks.

:hehe:

[Firewire]

No thanks.

:hehe:

Not a huge fan of hers but there isn't really anyone else, to be fair

[andybigbro]

Not a huge fan of hers but there isn't really anyone else, to be fair

They could get a new face! :)

[Firewire]

They could get a new face! :)

Elaine C Smith? :joker:

[arista]

:( he'll be missed.

For Sure

[Marsh.]

Can we go back to forgetting about Scotland? :idc:

[andybigbro]

Elaine C Smith? :joker:

Oh god :laugh::laugh:

[andybigbro]

Can we go back to forgetting about Scotland? :idc:

Marsh, don't be rude to us Scots please :sad: :nono:

[Firewire]

Can we go back to forgetting about Scotland? :idc:

piss off marsh

[Marsh.]

piss off marsh

Oh dear, someone's getting personal.

[Marsh.]

Marsh, don't be rude to us Scots please :sad: :nono:

:hehe: Okay. I'll invite you all round for tea.

[Firewire]

Oh dear, someone's getting personal.

i was joking :joker:

[andybigbro]

:hehe: Okay. I'll invite you all round for tea.

Thank you :)

[Marsh.]

i was joking :joker:

I forgot the smiley. :hehe:

[Marsh.]

Thank you :)

Haggis all around?

[Firewire]

I forgot the smiley. :hehe:

:nono:

[andybigbro]

Haggis all around?

Oh yes love a bit of haggis, me.

[Novo]

http://i754.photobucket.com/albums/xx181/Simon_Gardner/British_flag.gif?t=1253570832 http://i754.photobucket.com/albums/xx181/Simon_Gardner/British_flag.gif?t=1253570832

[Crimson Dynamo]

All hail the Sturge

[Kyle]

Rab C Nesbitt to replace him.

[Firewire]

Rab C Nesbitt to replace him.

Jack Jarvis would do a better job, I think

[smudgie]

Lovely..now if only the Sturgeon would follow suit.

[MTVN]

This No result gets better and better

[Firewire]

New SNP leader and therefore new First Minister of Scotland will be announced in November

[joeysteele]

This actually saddens me, he has achieved so much, he led the SNP to be the first majority govt at Holyrood,he was the architect of this referendum being held in the first place.

If I lived in Scotland he would have had my vote everytime for the SNP. He deserved better than the result of this referendum but I can see how he likely feels he has taken the SNP as far as he can now under his leadership, so it would be downhill for him now probably.

He will,in my view, be probably harder to replace then maybe people think he will be. While it would seem like it will be Nicola Sturgeon who is likely to replace him now,that for me would be a backward move,I cannot stand her at all and for me she would be a massive turn off as leader and First Minister.

He fought a brilliant campaign all through, for me, in this referendum,good luck to him in all he does in the future now.

[jackc1806]

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTpKHEaZH7aKhL-NLmloINSEk_0qd-BzYmjw27ComDWQnc_iZUK0w

[JoshBB]

Sad day as he was the best politician in Britain bar none

*cough* Caroline Lucas is the best *cough*

[Kizzy]

I can't help but feel he played right into the hands of the elitist tories... now the Scottish MPs that helped Labour prevent the conservatives pushing through damaging legislation are going to be prevented from voting in England :/

[Vicky.]

He did very well tbf, and should be proud.

[joeysteele]

I can't help but feel he played right into the hands of the elitist tories... now the Scottish MPs that helped Labour prevent the conservatives pushing through damaging legislation are going to be prevented from voting in England :/

That will be all interesting to see unfold Kizzy,the other thing Alex Salmond and this referendum have done is shake up all the parties at Westminster level.

I laugh when I hear that Scottish MPs should not vote on English matters, when for decade upon decade Scotland has had policies used in trials in Scotland by the votes of a great number of English MPs in the main.

For me any MP elected to Westminster and therefore the 'UK govt parliament' from any of the Countries that make up the UK should vote on everything laid before that parliament.

Wales has its own assembly.Scotland is to have a greater power base now after this refendum.

The only way for England to likely go now is more regional govt. with transferences of power from Westminster to those regions.
England is the greater in size and population and therefore it would need to be on a regional base rather than an English only parliament.
No point at all,in my view, in having power transfers to a single English assembly set up that is then only going to be dictated to as to policy and votes from in the main MP's from the far South of England.

It is quite a dilemma Westminster is now left with to sort out after this referendum, Alex Salmond's legacy is to have stirred things up considerably by having this referendum.

Also, whatever Westminster may finally agree on, if they ever do, will also still have to ride the hurdles of the Lords too.
I wouldn't expect to see anything done too quickly somehow, I still think Alex Salmond too may have gone to early.
No detail of the powers being transferred is in place yet, it all too will have to get through parliament and the Lords too.
I doubt most of the buffoons we have currently in Govt.even have any idea where to start to plan the road ahead never mind actually start the journey.

[Kizzy]

Well yes all that's happened is Westminster still get to control Scotlands money... whilst at the same time cutting them adrift even more than they do currently, it's a mess :(

[Ross.]

Nicola Sturgeon coming for that power :clap1:

[joeysteele]

Well yes all that's happened is Westminster still get to control Scotlands money... whilst at the same time cutting them adrift even more than they do currently, it's a mess :(

That is why I think Alex Salmond should have stayed longer, he may have even had the chance,more likely than not,to say 'I told you those at Westminster couldn't be trusted as to 'real' new powers'.

I think a great deal of more chaos is going to come and it doesn't help to get Conservative MPs already flexing their muscles against Scottish MPs either.

[Kizzy]

That is why I think Alex Salmond should have stayed longer, he may have even had the chance,more likely than not,to say 'I told you those at Westmister couldn't be trusted as to 'real' new powers'.

I think a great deal of more chaos is going to come and it doesn't help to get Conservative MPs already flexing their muscles against Scottish MPs either.

Yep, you get it joey... And how is Ed Milliband in the firing line too over this?! I swear if Cameron fell in a bucket of dung he'd come out smelling of roses! grrrr! :/

[T*]

And nothing of value was lost
(JK, I have no idea how this man is perceived; nor do I care. All I know was that he was a minister :p What is your opinion on him?)

[Marsh.]

And nothing of value was lost
(JK, I have no idea how this man is perceived; nor do I care. All I know was that he was a minister :p What is your opinion on him?)

:suspect:

[Kizzy]

:suspect:

[King Gizzard]

http://i.imgur.com/Fc8jwU6.jpg

even I laughed when he did this tbf

[Kizzy]

I would've laughed if he'd shoved it down his self serving gullet!

[joeysteele]

Yep, you get it joey... And how is Ed Milliband in the firing line too over this?! I swear if Cameron fell in a bucket of dung he'd come out smelling of roses! grrrr! :/

Well Cameron was in the Rose garden at Downing street when he first became PM.:joker:
Actually his rating is only about 12% better than Ed Miliband's anyway and that is more than likely becasue he is the current PM,nothing as to his ability and competence.

Ed Miliband is near the better idea of English reform as to the regional idea rather than removal of status of some MP's at Westminster.
I cannot see this getting off the ground before the election in May, it will be something the next Govt. has to address and maybe set up.
In something like 7 months time only now, we will likely be in an election campaign already anyway.

I wonder if he is reading the papers tomorrow,will Alex Slamond afford himself a big grin at the dilemma his referendum has handed to Westminster.
Especially as to David Cameron,who he knows talks a lot but always puts things off until the next day, and the next day, and indeed for many days after that too.

[King Gizzard]

http://images.contactmusic.com/dn/john+loughton_855_18434173_0_0_7009028_300.jpg

[zakman440]

http://images.contactmusic.com/dn/john+loughton_855_18434173_0_0_7009028_300.jpg

:laugh2:

[andybigbro]

http://images.contactmusic.com/dn/john+loughton_855_18434173_0_0_7009028_300.jpg

:laugh2:

[joeysteele]

For me he has really resigned too soon, too good a leader to be lost in my view.

[Kizzy]

Not the action of a dedicated reformist is it?