ALEX Salmond has challenged a claim that the pledge of new powers for Scotland in the closing stages of the 2014 independence referendum did not clinch victory for the No campaign.

The Vow, signed by the then Prime Minister David Cameron, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and Labour leader Ed Miliband, appeared on the front page of the Daily Record two days ahead of the historic vote

However, the then Daily Record editor Murray Foote, says his motivation for publishing the pledge was to ensure the politicians kept to their word.

He added there was no evidence it lost the campaign for Yes which he believed failed because the economic case for independence was not strong enough.

Salmond hailed Foote, who stood down as editor of the Record in March, as “a new recruit to the independence cause”.

Foote came out in support of an independent Scotland this month.

However, Salmond said he disagreed with Foote about the impact of The Vow.

Salmond said: "I warmly welcome Murray Foote as a new recruit to the independence cause but he heavily underrates the significance of the Vow which was a journalistic masterpiece but politically disabled Scotland at a crucial moment.

“It presented a No campaign then in total disarray with a rallying point in the final week of the 2014 referendum.

“The Daily Record provided an infinitely more credible vehicle than George Osborne and the Tory Government who first wanted to proffer the panicked promise of more powers.”