ALEX Salmond appears to be dampening expectations of a breakthrough for his Alba Party.

Speaking to Bauer Media, the former first minister said success for Alba was simply "registering as a political party" and on the political spectrum.

Alba candidates are standing on the regional lists across Scotland in the hope of attracting votes from pro-independence Scots. 

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The party argues list votes are "wasted" on the SNP as the party is so successful in terms of constituency seats.

Mr Salmond launched Alba on March 26 with the intention of creating a “supermajority” of Yes MSPs to put pressure on Boris Johnson to concede Indyref2 or legitimise other tactics.

However recent polls suggest it will get one or two MSPs at most, and may get none at all.

Nicola Sturgeon has criticised the supermajority concept as unhelpful, and also claimed Alba may be off-putting to swithering No voters.

Mr Salmond, who is at the count in Aberdeen, was asked what success would look like for his party in terms of seats.

He said: "I think our success is registering as a political party and registering on the political spectrum. 

"To form a political party in a six-week period, and to publicise it and to get the activists and members and the candidates and the programme and everything else – I don't know if it's ever been done before.

"Certainly not in a general election, and this is the Scottish general election. 

"I think time will tell if our argument that we've been putting forward in this campaign proves correct."