Scottish independence, Rupert Murdoch and The Scottish Sun abandons support for Alex Salmond and Scottish independence; everyone is walking away from Salmond now, it’s another significant milestone in his coming defeat

Dear All

In 2011, Rupert Murdoch and his newspaper, the Sun swung round behind Alex Salmond and gave their support for the SNP to be returned to Holyrood.

With Murdoch feeling the heat in England from Westminster politicians over the phone hacking scandal, everything was going against him.

So, he sought a safe haven….. Scotland.

Alex Salmond welcomed him like a long lost brother.

Events have moved on considerably since then, now Rupert Murdoch's interest in winning independence for Scotland has ended.

Alex Salmond is looking increasingly isolated; it’s him, Sturgeon, the SNP clique and their hangers on sitting on the grassy knoll.

Murdoch doesn’t like to back losers and Salmond is looking like a loser, he has become old, weak, out of touch, a despot full of his own arrogance to accomplish simple things.

His News International's top selling title in Scotland is The Scottish Sun.

Although the print media is in decline, The Scottish Sun is still a force, and their support is widely regarded as crucial to the "Yes" campaign.

The fact that so early on that they are abandoning any notion of getting behind Salmond speaks volumes.

The run-in to the September 2014 referendum is all about punishing Alex Salmond for betraying the Scottish people, case after case of how ordinary people has probably led the Sun to the conclusion that it should and will not be backing independence.

This is a significant blow to Alex Salmond.

Salmond’s crony ridden rabble, or the SNP front called Yes Scotland can’t pull back the enormous gap between them and the public.

The senior management of News International in both London and Glasgow are not looking to back the SNP ahead of the 18 September vote next year.

The Scottish independence campaign is dead, what is happening now is a face saving exercise, and to allow Salmond and Sturgeon’s cronies to hoover up cash working on the campaign.

It is now just a shell, a virtual campaign with a few street stalls, its smoke and mirrors!

In real terms, the Scottish independence campaign doesn’t exist, it isn’t a people’s campaign; it’s a rich man’s campaign.

Ordinary Scots don’t back it.

The SNP's failure to continue being supported by the Sunwill force a rethink of the "Yes" campaign's strategy, it is a disaster, and to have it so far out from the vote is significant.

The latest opinion poll puts support for independence hovering at 36 per cent.

Support for Scotland to stay part of the UK is at 46 per cent, and those undecided at 18 per cent.

As the time of the vote draws closer, that 18% have a choice, do they go with a SNP right wing government which doesn’t support the people of Scotland or do they stick with the UK.

The people will stick with the UK, because Alex Salmond’s jolly fat man routine is had its day!

A senior boardroom source at NI in London said

"The Scottish Sun will not be backing the SNP on independence. We will have a neutral stance".

And the Sun doesn’t want to be on the wrong side of history, especially now people know how Alex Salmond treats people.

He is a user.

I have a good track record in calling elections, and like me the withdrawal of support for independence by Mr Murdoch also suggests he has rethought earlier calculations that Mr Salmond is a winner.

Alex Salmond is going down the tubes; he is a small, arrogant little provincial minded man.

Rupert Murdoch understands the political economy, a vote for Salmond on this issue of Scottish independence is a loser, but it isn’t just Salmond, it is what is standing behind, Murdoch has looked at these people.

And as the old saying goes when it comes to them, ‘fuck that for a game of soldiers’.

I am voting No to independence.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University