Farage Accepts Salmond Challenge To Debate EU

Nigel Farage is said to be "absolutely up for" debating the European Union referendum with Alex Salmond.

It comes after Scotland's former first minister challenged the UKIP leader to discuss the In/Out vote on TV.

Speaking on Sky's Murnaghan programme, Mr Salmond said he would be "delighted" to take on Mr Farage.

The SNP's foreign affairs spokesman said: "I don't know if they've quite decided who they will be fielding yet.

"They seem to have spent a lot of time fighting with each other. That's the sort of folk they are. But yes, of course you debate all comers in a referendum campaign.

"If I may say so it has been Mr Cameron who's been tentative and sensitive about debating with people in recent history."

UKIP later said Mr Farage accepted the challenge and was "absolutely up for it" but that any debate should be broader than just a one-to-one with Mr Salmond.

A spokesman told Sky News: "Mr Farage is delighted to debate Mr Salmond, however he feels there are plenty of other Scots who should be there on both sides of the argument.

"Salmond is trying to frame this as UKIP vs Scotland, which it isn't.

"He is setting up a false perspective – that Scotland wants to stay in the EU and only nasty English people want out. This isn't true – there are strong Scottish voices who want out too."

Mr Salmond, whose party is in favour of staying in the EU, stood down as first minister and SNP leader after Scotland rejected independence in 2014.

He also told Murnaghan that the Prime Minister would have no choice but to resign if the UK voted for a Brexit.

"He won't have a choice in the matter. If he loses the referendum then he'll be shown the door as indeed will the Chancellor George Osborne," he said.

"It's untenable to try and maintain a position if you lose a referendum and, what is it they used to say in the Conservative Party a long time ago, you would have to do the honourable thing."

Mr Salmond has branded Mr Cameron's EU renegotiation a "sham" and accused both sides in the debate of scaremongering.