The former First Minister was branded "deluded" and accused of pushing "fake news" after he tried to claim Nicola Sturgeon’s proposed break-up of Britain had nationwide support across the border.
Current First Minster Ms Sturgeon told Scots she is “determined to save Scotland from Brexit” in the wake of Theresa May’s pledge to take Britain out of the single market.
Speaking earlier this week she said: “It seems the Westminster Tory Government now think they can do anything to Scotland and get away with it.
"They must start to understand how wrong they are."
GETTY
Nick Robinson questioned Alex Salmond over his demands for another independence vote
The Yes side will win, they’d adopt the euro and they would deal with the fact that oil is now worth less than half what it was when you predicted it a couple of years ago
Nick Robinson
Backing up his successor as First Minister, Mr Salmond told BBC Radio 4's Today programme support for Scottish independence is higher than when they held the initial referendum in 2014.
He said: “There have been 16 polls since the European referendum, 15 out of 16 have shown support for independence higher than it was in September 2014.”
Mr Salmond was then challenged to whether he was truly confident of winning an independence vote just three years after the 2014 Scottish referendum.
“What I am saying is if the UK rejects Nicola Sturgeon’s compromised plan – which would be in everyone's interest to consider – then I think an independence referendum will be very likely.
This prompted Robinson to snap back: “You don’t sound very confident!”
Mr Salmond said the “Yes side would win” any potential referendum, but it wasn’t enough for Robinson who mocked his position.
“The Yes side will win, they’d adopt the euro and they would deal with the fact that oil is now worth less than half what it was when you predicted it a couple of years ago.”
One listener tweeted in response to Mr Salmond's comments: "Simply not true for Alex Salmond to say polls are showing support for IndyRef 2. More fake news from the SNP."
Another posted: "Alex Salmond on BBC's Today sounded as deluded as ever. The ghost of nationalism past…"
REMOANERS: These people hate BREXIT!
Mon, January 16, 2017
Remainers are finding it hard to accept Brexit.
Play slideshow
AFP/Getty Images
1 of 14
NICK CLEGG
Back in 2014, Scots voted to remain part of the UK by 55 per cent to 45 per cent, which led to Mr Salmond standing down as leader of the SNP.
According to recent polls, support for an independent Scotland is at its lowest with just 40 per cent of Scots keen to see their country break away from Britain.
During his LBC radio show, the former First Minister said a possible referendum would have to take place during the two-year Brexit negotiating period, which is scheduled to start when the Prime Minister triggers Article 50 at the end of March.
He said: "It has to be within the two-year negotiating period, so we would be talking about a year come the autumn or something like that.
"You would have to have it within the two years, you would want to have the Scottish referendum before the Brexit process had been completed."
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Tumblr
RSS