Alex Salmond claims Scottish independence would be good for English regions

SCOTTISH independence could lead to a better deal for the regions of England, Alex Salmond told an audience south of the Border last night.

He insisted that “structural changes” would be needed if Scotland left the UK that could result in many regions enjoying an improved relationship with Westminster.

However, he was accused of “lecturing” to the people of England when he should be dealing with issues such as unemployment in Scotland.

Mr Salmond made the comments during a speech at Liverpool’s John Moores University in which he said Westminster leaders were “out of touch with the masses”. He continued: “Scottish independence would require a rethinking of the structures of the rest of the UK.

“It would be for England, Wales and Northern Ireland to decide how this came about, but the end result would surely reflect the needs of the English regions better than the current arrangements.”

The First Minister added “all England over, I will back the English masses over the Westminster classes,” – echoing the words of William Gladstone, who in a speech in Liverpool in 1886 said: “All the world over, I will back the masses against the classes.”

Mr Salmond told the audience: “The unpopularity of Westminster leaders in Scotland is largely based on their ham-fisted interventions in the debate on Scotland’s future.

“Their unpopularity in England is based on their inability, in these tough times, to present a positive vision of the future of England. But it may also reflect something else.”

The First Minister went on: “One reason, in my view, for the current unpopularity of the UK parties is that on issues from health reform to economic recovery, the Westminster classes seem to be out of touch with the masses. And they seem more out of touch the further from Westminster you travel.”

His comments follow a speech in London last month when Mr Salmond said an independent Scotland could be a “beacon” of progressive opinion for the UK.

And last night he insisted independence could end the growing sense of “grievance” with Scotland south of the Border. “Whenever Scotland chooses a distinctive policy approach – for example free prescriptions or the abolition of tuition fees – some people at Westminster suspect, wrongly, that England is getting a raw financial deal,” he said. “Such a sentiment is unfounded: Scotland more than pays its way in the Union.”

But Mr Salmond’s comments came under fire from opposition leaders. Labour’s shadow Scottish secretary, Margaret Curran, said: “Alex Salmond is quick to accuse others of interfering in Scotland yet he sees no problem in lecturing the people of England how they should be running their affairs.

“His time would be better served tackling Scotland’s economic problems and trying to create employment for the 200 Scots losing their job every day.”

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson added: “Rather than using the office of First Minister to go on some kind of roadshow in England to persuade people there about his plans for separation, Alex Salmond should be concentrating on sorting out Scotland’s economy and trying to find jobs for more than 100,000 unemployed young people.

“People will see through this blatant opportunism. Once again, Alex Salmond’s ego is getting in the way of having a mature discussion about what separation would actually mean.”