Scottish independence: total collapse of indy campaign as Alex Salmond refuses point blank to face Alistair Darling, Salmond’s cowardice in the face of political combat, signals full retreat, campaign is now over as ‘leader’ throws in towel

Dear All

The Campaign for Scottish Independence is dead!

Any work done between now and D-Day for Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon is a waste of time, money, people and resources.

At present, if you involve yourself in this campaign, you are only involved in a face saving exercise for the SNP leadership.

Yes Scotland is actually Yes Salmond.

Far from travelling ‘forward’ which the SNP copied off Barack Obama Campaign, backwards is the direction of travel.

There is no George Laird radical thinking in the SNP and Yes Scotland.

No ideas, no vision, no plan, no preparation and weak leadership.

The old joke of ‘couldn’t get their hole in a barrel of fannies applies’ or ‘couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery’ works equally well.

Alex Salmond is shitting himself, and it isn’t just because he is clinically obese, his staged managed ‘jolly fat man’ routine is wearing thin as policy after policy has been shown to be incompetent.

Doesn’t matter what you pick, the talent to produce a strategy that stands up on its hind legs isn’t there.

The ‘retreat from Moscow’ has started as Salmond and Sturgeon failed to plan a proper summer offensive, now with casualties, lack of ammunition, desertion of activists and the piggy bank funds drying up, retreat on all fronts is happening.

Panic in the ranks, cybernats spewing bile is on the increase, leaked reports, destruction of credibility, all adds up.

Bottles have crashed in the SNP.  

Alex Salmond’s bottle has crashed, the fear oozes out of him; the proof is his snubbing of a call for a head-to-head debate with Alistair Darling.

Darling is successfully leading the pro-UK Better Together campaign to devastating effect, we are talking a man of real gravitas. Salmond can’t use his populist jingoism against such a man.

Shitbag!

Shitbag is a word not used lightly in politics, but the First Minister is a coward, perhaps he would be better to send a woman out to fight his battles for him.

Scotland’s unpopular Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is not in the same league as Alistair Darling, can’t send her out onto the field of battle, she is okay for minor skirmishing but not elite Westminster politicians such as Darling.

And of course a screamer like SNP list MSP Joan McAlpine is totally out of the question, she has her uses but political combat isn’t one of them.

Mr Darling has challenged the First Minister to debate Scotland's future after the SNP Government publishes its detailed plans for independence in a white paper in November.

The offer has been refused; it seems fighting for Scotland only applies if the “good weather comes in”.

Oddly, the First Minister said he expected to debate the issues with David Cameron.

David Cameron is the leader of a nation, Alex Salmond is not, and despite trying to give that false impression, he is Cameron’s lackey, the Scotland Act is his collar.

Sadly, Salmond accused Mr Darling of acting as a "human shield" for the PM.

Labour MP Alistair Darling is no one’s “human shield”, he is willing to stand toe to toe with the ‘jolly fat man’ and fight in the trench at close quarters.

Ducking political combat, what must SNP MSP Joan McAlpine think of her hero now?

Former Labour chancellor Mr Darling threw down the gauntlet in a speech to councillors and local authority officials, it’s a public challenge, a man steps forward, picks up the gauntlet, says yes and hands it back by way of the gauntlet across the back of the face.

Salmond too scared to even pick up the gauntlet.

Provincial minded strategy as I have previously blogged.  

Darling told the Cosla conference in St Andrews:

"We can start 2014 with a real debate on real detail. When he publishes his plans, I will be ready to debate that detail with Alex Salmond, every day from publication to the day we decide our future. In town halls, in community centres or on television, I will present our vision for a stronger Scotland and will argue our case that we can have the best of both worlds, that we are stronger when we work together."

Alex Salmond is old, weak and becoming increasingly scared, he is hiding behind women now, opposition politicians are increasingly getting the better of him at FMQs, he is a hunted animal with his pack trailing behind him.

Can Alex Salmond regain the ground taken?

Not if he continues the role of being a ‘political bitch’ who screams when called out on to the battlefield.

Leader of an independent country when his arse collapses every time he is asked out for single combat, I think not.

It is time Alex Salmond exited politics.

He has a cheek to stand in front of men when he won’t take up a man’s role, how can he be ‘father of the nation’ when he lacks moral courage, maybe he needs a ‘gang’ around him.

Alistair Darling should challenge Salmond and the whole SNP Cabinet; he has the skill to take every one of them out; either one to one or as a group.

One man can make a difference!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow