ALEX Salmond is no better than Nigel Farage or Donald Trump for pursuing a shallow nationalist agenda, a former Scottish Secretary has claimed.
LibDem Alistair Carmichael told his party’s conference in Perth that the former SNP First Minister was part of the same broad movement as the former Ukip leader and US President.
The Orkney and Shetland MP told delegates: “This is a time to get angry. The rise of nationalism, wherever it is found, challenges our Liberal values.
READ MORE: Carmichael: No 10 risks 'fighting the last war' over independence using Project Fear
“Let’s be clear about this. The answer to nationalism is never more nationalism. Dress it up any way you like but nationalism is still nationalism.
"Alex Salmond will tell you that all he wants is for decisions about Scotland to be made by people living in Scotland. How is that different at its heart from Nigel Farage wanting to take back control from Brussels? Or even Donald Trump wanting to do deals, great deals, that will always put America first?”
Mr Carmichael said Nationalists ascribed values to a particular country or people, rather than being guided by a desire for social justice or other philosophy.
He said: “We all remember the misty eyed rhetoric during the referendum about ‘Scottish values’ of community, inclusion and even compassion.
“Just think about that for a second. What does that mean? Do they really believe that all Scots hold these values? Or that only Scots can hold them?
“Maybe if you don't hold them then you are not quite Scottish enough.
Whatever it means it is divisive and exclusive and we should have none of it.”
Mr Carmichael said Brexit had brought the LibDems “back to the centre ground of British politics again”, and unlike Labour under Jeremy Corbyn, they would not given Theresa May a free hand in shaping Brexit.
He said: “The Liberal Democrats will not stand by while the most right wing, ideologically driven Government this country has ever seen runs roughshod over our children's future.
“We will not stand by while this government drags our country off the international stage.”
READ MORE: Carmichael: No 10 risks 'fighting the last war' over independence using Project Fear
He said the rise in xenophobia since the Leave vote meant he hardly recognised his own country at times, and condemned the Prime Minister for playing “poker” with the 3m EU nationals living in the UK, instead of guaranteeing their existing rights.
He said: “That is why we should all be angry. We have a Prime Minister who is hell bent on finishing the job that Nigel Farage started. We have a leader of the opposition who boasts that he will not stand in her way. And, in Scotland, we have a government that instead of reaching out wants us to turn inwards.”
He told activists: “Don't just get mad - get even. Don't just get even - get elected.”
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