Labour turned my dad into an SNP voter - Salmond

ALEX Salmond has revealed that his father ended his support for Labour and moved over to the SNP after years of backing the rivals of his son’s party, in the latest extracts from his memoirs.

Alex Salmond has revealed his Labour-voting dad was moved to back the SNP - by a Labour canvasser. Picture: John Devlin

Robert Salmond changed his politics after a Labour canvasser turned up on his doorstep during a by-election campaign 50 years ago, the former First Minister said in his new book, The Dream Shall Never Die.

Mr Salmond writes: “Both of my parents eventually reached the same conclusion on Scottish independence in their own separate ways.

“As my father tells it, his moment of conversion happened during an exchange with a Labour canvasser on the front doorstep.

“Father was asked how he would be voting. Labour, he replied without hesitation. ‘Always have.”

However, Mr Salmond said his father decided to vote SNP in the by-election after the Labour canvasser then described the nationalists as “nose pickers”.

Mr Salmond, writes that his father told the canvasser: “I will now vote SNP in every election, I want you to remember this is what you have achieved tonight.”