ALEX Salmond is to abandon the Holyrood election trail in favour of America this week, adding to the isolation of the controversial SNP candidate now contesting his old seat.
The former First Minister is due to give a talk at the Hudson Union Society in New York city on Thursday and promote his best-selling referendum diary The Dream Will Never Die.
The paperback version of the book is published in the US tomorrow during the annual Scotland Week celebrations.
Advance publicity for Thursday’s event describes Mr Salmond as “one of the most provocative and important independence leaders that the world is closely following” and asks rhetorically: “Will Alex Salmond be the first president of an independent Scotland? “
It also says Salmond will make clear "that the referendum was not the end of a process, but the beginning of one. The dream of Scottish independence is very much alive.”
Mr Salmond originally planned a book signing tour in America and Canada a year ago, during the general election, when he was the Westminster candidate for Gordon.
However the party blocked the move for fear of adverse publicity, especially as Nicola Sturgeon had previously attacked a Labour opponent for going on holiday mid-election.
Although Mr Salmond is not a candidate in May, SNP MPs are expected to help their colleagues with campaigning.
The SNP candidate in his former Holyrood seat of Aberdeenshire East is Gillian Martin, a prominent Yes campaigner and member of Women for Independence.
Last week she was condemned for a series of controversial remarks on an old personal blog, including calling the EU a “tranny trove” and Mr Salmond a “smug git”.
She also branded the royal family “a bunch of inbred dysfunctionals” and suggested she would “blow” any job “which included any element of trust”.
The “tranny trove” remark was particularly awkward for the SNP, as it emerged on the eve of Nicola Sturgeon making a major announcement on LGBTI rights.
Asked about the comment, Ms Sturgeon said: "Using language like that is not acceptable."
Mr Salmond is believed not to have supported Ms Martin in the candidate selection process for Aberdeenshire East, as he tried unsuccessfully to introduce a last-minute rival into the race.
One SNP source said of his American jaunt: “It’s not exactly all hands to the pumps, is it? We knew Alex had a problem with the candidate selection. Now he seems to be voting with his feet.”
The SNP majority in Aberdeenshire East was 15,295 in 2011.
Christine Jardine, the LibDem challenger in the seat, queried Mr Salmond's decision to swap Newmachar for New York.
“I’m a bit surprised Mr Salmond is not spending all his time with Gillian Martin to help her hold on to this seat, but that’s an issue for the SNP," she said. "Perhaps he’s not amused at her calling him a smug git, or he takes at her word when she says couldn’t hold a position of trust.
“The important thing is that the people of Aberdeenshire East deserve an apology for her remark about a ‘tranny trove’, which Nicola Sturgeon has described as unacceptable.
“Those of us in public life, myself included, have a duty to act and speak responsibly and if you fail in that you should recognise it and apologise.”
An SNP spokeswoman said: “This is pathetic from the LibDems. Gillian Martin is campaigning hard to win the support of the people of Aberdeenshire East with the full support of Alex Salmond.
"Alex is playing a full part in the campaign, he has already campaigned in constituencies across the country to support local candidates and back Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister and will continue to do so."
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