Alex Salmond to debate Nigel Farage on EU membership

Alex Salmond will debate Nigel Farage on the UK’s membership of the EU.

Salmond said he would be “delighted” to have a televised debate with the Ukip leader, announcing his intention to “debate all comers”.

Meanwhile a spokesperson for Farage accused the former First Minister of presenting a “false perspective” in which “only nasty English people want out” of the EU.

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Salmond told Sky News: "I don’t know if they’ve quite decided who they’ll be fielding yet and 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.”

A Ukip spokesperson said Farage was “absolutely up for it”, but while calling for the event to be expanded to include more views.

“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."

Salmond also rejected the idea David Cameron could stay on as Prime Minister if he led the remain campaign and lost.

He said: “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. It’s untenable to try to maintain a position if you lose the referendum.”