Alex Salmond Warns Of Scottish Independence No Voters' 'Wrath' If Devolution Not Delivered

Alex Salmond Uses Star Trek To Emphasise Scotland's Anger
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The wrath of those who voted no to Scottish independence will be greater than "the wrath of Khan" if devolution is not delivered, Alex Salmond has said.

Salmond, who resigned as Scotland's First Minister after 55% of Scots voted no to independence, said the arguments among the main parties in Westminster over how to grant Scotland devolution have left those who voted to stay in the union "angry, hurt and disappointed".

"The wrath of Khan will be as of nothing to the wrath of a No voter who has been gulled by the Westminster leadership," he said, using a Star Trek analogy to emphasise the point.

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Alex Salmond warned of No voters' 'wrath' if devolution is not delivered

"I don't see how they can be kept between David Cameron who says they must go in tandem with changes in England, and Ed Miliband who says they can't go in tandem with changes in England. These seem to be two irreconcilable positions from political interest at Westminster.

"It's the people who voted No because they believed these commitments from the Westminster leadership, these are the people who are feeling most angry, most hurt, most disappointed in Scotland today."

The Wrath of Khan is the title of a 1982 Star Trek film about a vengeful superhuman trying to take revenge on Captain Kirk.

Benedict Cumberbatch played the character in the most recent film of the franchise - Star Trek Into Darkness.

Mr Salmond - who has identified the vow by the three Westminster leaders as being pivotal in the success of the No campaign - claimed the Labour and Conservative positions were now "irreconcilable".

He told the Murnaghan show on Sky News: "David Cameron doesn't think he can carry his own backbenchers, never mind the threat from Ukip, unless he links Scottish progress to changes in England.

"Ed Miliband doesn't want to do that because Labour would lose their majority over English business in the House of Commons. That is the log jam the Westminster leaders got themselves into.

"There is a big issue there, but shouldn't they have thought of that before they made a solemn vow and pledge to the Scottish people."

Analysis of figures from the referendum showed that "the majority of Scots up to the age of 55 voted for independence, and a majority of Scots over 55 voted against independence," Mr Salmond said.

"I think that vow was really important and the people who are really angry in Scotland today are not the Yes campaigners, our opinion of the Westminster elite is really pretty low. The people who are really angry are those people who were persuaded to vote No by that vow, by that solemn pledge and are now already beginning to feel let down, angry, disappointed because it looks like they have been tricked."

He went on: "When you have a situation where the majority of a country up to the age of 55 is already voting for independence then I think the writing is on the wall for Westminster.

"I think the destination is pretty certain, we're only debating the timescale and the method."

He restated his view that a constitutional referendum is a "once in a generation" opportunity, but added: "There are many routes to independence."

Mr Salmond said: "This is a real thing, this generational change of opinion in Scotland, and I think the writing is on the wall for Westminster. It's a question of how fast and how far we get."

He also ruled out taking a seat in the House of Lords after he steps down as First Minister.

"My policy is to abolish the House of Lords," Mr Salmond said, adding that "rocks would melt with the sun" before he would "ever set foot in the House of Lords".