Scottish council elections: ‘Major comedown for Salmond if SNP fail to win Glasgow’’ - Nick Clegg

By SCOTT MACNAB
Published on 04/05/2012 11:22

THE count is underway in Glasgow - where it is set to go down to the wire. The city has been a key SNP target - so would it be a bad result if they fail to win it?

Deputy First Minister Nick Clegg says it will be a bad election for Alex Salmond if the SNP fails to win Glasgow.

The Nationalists have targeted the city as their top priority in the election as they aim to end decades of Labour dominance in the city.

“The SNP have predicted very confidently that they will win Glasgow,” Mr Clegg said.

“They must win Glasgow if they want to claim they’ve had a successful night.

“If having indulged in all this hubristic bluster they then fail to win Glasgow, I think it will be a major, major comedown for Alex Salmond and the SNP.”

The Lib Dem leader also says the nationalists could pay for treating the local elections as a “stepping stone” to independence.

“It’s taking people for granted to say `no, no it’s got nothing to do with local circumstances - its all about Alex Salmond’s independence ambitions.’

“That’s not what these local elections are about.”

The Lib Dems are convinced that voters have been ready to give them a “fresh hearing” in this election after the party suffered a wipeout in last year’s Holyrood election.