ALEX Salmond has said he is "marching to the sound of gunfire" as he launched his bid to return to Westminster at next year's General Election.

ALEX Salmond has said he is "marching to the sound of gunfire" as he launched his bid to return to Westminster at next year's General Election.

Mr Salmond, who has announced he is standing to be the SNP candidate in the Gordon consistency in Aberdeenshire, said that he did not believe it was possible to "stand on the sidelines" in the current political climate and that a strong group of nationalist MPs in London would use their influence to seek devo-max for Scotland.

The former First Minister said that Gordon Brown had "marched off into the political sunset" following the announcement that he was standing down as an MP, as was therefore no longer in a position to act as a guarantor that promises made in the run-up to the referendum would be honoured.

Mr Salmond will attempt to overturn a Liberal Democrat majority of almost 7,000 in May in Gordon, in his north-east Scotland heartland. Bookmakers have installed Mr Salmond as the overwhelming favourite to win the seat, despite the region voting against independence in September.

Asked why he was standing for a Westminster seat rather than remaining at Holyrood, Mr Salmond said: "Because you march to the sound of gunfire and the contest is next May in the Westminster elections. That's what's going to determine whether the vow commitment promises that were made to Scotland are delivered or not. I think the Westminster parties, as we've seen through the Smith Commission, will deliver as little as they think they can get away with. I intend to see, along with colleagues, that they get away with nothing and Scotland gets delivered what we were promised."

However the Liberal Democrat candidate for the seat, Christine Jardine, insisted that voters would reject Mr Salmond at the ballot box and disputed his claim that promises to Scotland had not been kept.

Ms Jardine, who is taking over as her party's candidate from retiring incumbent Malcolm Bruce, said: "People in the North East know Alex Salmond is more concerned with delivering independence by the back door than standing up for Gordon.

"He says he wants to support our local NHS and improve transport links. What people in Gordon will be asking is why he did not do something about them when he had power at Holyrood."