Alex Salmond no different to Donald Trump or Nigel Farage, Lib Dem MP claims
Former first minister Alex Salmond is no different from Nigel Farage of Ukip or even US President Donald Trump, a senior Liberal Democrat has insisted.
Former first minister Alex Salmond is no different from Nigel Farage of Ukip or even US President Donald Trump, a senior Liberal Democrat has insisted.
Alistair Carmichael, who served as Scottish secretary in the coalition government, argued that whatever form it takes, "nationalism is still nationalism".
Mr Carmichael, the only remaining Lib Dem MP in Scotland, stated: "Alex Salmond will tell you that all he wants is for decisions about Scotland to be made in Scotland.
"How is that different to Nigel Farage wanting to take back control? Or even Donald Trump wanting to do deals, great deals, that put America first?"
Speaking at the Scottish Liberal Democrat conference in Perth, the Orkney and Shetland MP said: "Let me be quite clear about this: the answer to nationalism is never more nationalism.
"Dress it up any way you like but nationalism is still nationalism."
Mr Carmichael accused the SNP of being "just as ambivalent about our position in Europe" as the Tories.
Ever since the UK voted to leave the European Union, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been warning another independence referendum is "highly likely".
Mr Carmichael said: "If the SNP really wanted to be a voice for the 62% of Scots who voted remain last June, then they would join us in demanding that the people of Britain be given the last word on the deal that Theresa May does with the rest of Europe."
The Lib Dem MP went on to state it was Scotland's "misfortune to have two nationalist governments - a Scottish nationalist government in Edinburgh and a British nationalist government in London".
He said: "For all their differences, they are remarkably similar
"Last week Theresa May came to Scotland and talked about little else than the SNP and independence."
He also criticised Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, saying that in the run-up to the 2016 Holyrood election she "offered a pitch to the Scottish people to be an opposition to the SNP", but added that since then "she has conspired with the SNP to talk about nothing else than the constitution".
Mr Carmichael added: "That is not opposition. That is collusion."
Mr Carmichael attacked Labour, saying the party's decision to respect the result of the EU referendum meant "this hard Brexit Conservative government is given free rein to do whatever they want".
He told Jeremy Corbyn: "If you won't stand in the way of it, then stand aside because the Liberal Democrats will.
"The Liberal Democrats will not stand by while the most right-wing, ideologically-driven government this country has ever seen runs roughshod over our country's future.
"The Liberal Democrats will not stand by while this government drags our country off the international stage."
He insisted it was a "time to get angry" as he attacked the Prime Minister over her refusal so far to grant EU citizens already living in Britain the right to remain.
"I am angry that my government is prepared to play intergovernmental poker with these people's lives," Mr Carmichael said.
"It is a disgrace. It is a disgrace our Prime Minister could end on Monday."
The MP said Mrs May was "hell bent on finishing the job that Nigel Farage started".
He added: "She could tell them that they are welcome to stay here as long as they want to. Instead she ignores their plight and walks on by on the other side of the road."
An SNP spokesman said: "Alistair Carmichael has rich form for making up slurs for political gain - which is just one of the reasons nobody will listen to this bizarre outburst.
"The SNP speaks loudly for a welcome, inclusive, outward-looking Scotland.
"Comparing supporters of Scottish independence to Trump and Farage shows just how out of touch the Scottish Lib Dem leadership has become - and ordinary Lib Dem members will be appalled by it."