Labour resignations 'a disgusting, organised coup', says Alex Salmond
The mass resignation of senior Labour MPs over Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party is a "disgusting, organised coup", Alex Salmond has said.
The mass resignation of senior Labour MPs over Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party is a "disgusting, organised coup", Alex Salmond has said.
The former first minister of Scotland said he had sympathy for Mr Corbyn after two-thirds of his shadow cabinet quit and a raft of junior frontbenchers stepped down following last week's Brexit vote.
Speaking in Westminster, Mr Salmond said: "I find it depressing to see people that he appointed, most of whom the public have never heard of, stabbing him in the back.
"I find that is a debilitating sight, and personally I hope he sticks it out and is vindicated, because I've never seen such a disgusting, organised coup.
"On the hour, every hour, one of them resigns, and if they think the general public finds that impressive I think they've got another think coming.
"I can't help but have a good deal of sympathy for Jeremy Corbyn and some contempt for the tactics of those who he appointed, who now feel free to stab him in the back."
Mr Salmond also warned that Brexiteers would face the wrath of the public if referendum pledges, including reducing immigration, were not kept.
He said: "When they see the damage done - that the Prime Minister, who was forecasting Armageddon, is now describing as an 'adjustment' - and when that hits real people, real jobs, real investment, then there's going to be one horrible reckoning for the Brexiteers - Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Ukip among them.
"I think it is extraordinary, the amount of damage done by politicians who quite clearly had no expectation of winning and therefore hadn't done the work to bring together a plan of what to do once they've won.
"This is a group of politicians having won a referendum who now have no idea what to do - and when the public realise that, the wrath of the people is going to be something to see.
"I think the Brexiteers have to recognise that they've broken it, so now they own it, and take responsibility for what they have done."
Mr Salmond praised Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for stepping into a leadership void following David Cameron's resignation announcement, the crisis of confidence in Mr Corbyn, and leading Brexit figures seeming to "have no idea what to do".
Ms Sturgeon is speaking to the chief minister of Gibraltar this week to forge pro-EU alliances with the UK areas that now face being "ripped out of the EU against our will".
Scotland would not be "dragged out of Europe" against its population's wishes, Mr Salmond said, adding: "Anybody in this place who thinks that's going to happen had better think again."
"If it turns out at the end of the day the choice is for the people of Scotland between London and Europe, I think the majority will choose Europe," he warned.