THE independence issue has "gone cold" since the Holyrood election, Alex Salmond has said, as he took another swipe at the Scottish Government.
The former first minister said it seemed "strange" that it was deemed safe to hold the Euros and the Cop26 climate summit, but not a second referendum.
Nicola Sturgeon has said she will seek to hold another vote on Scotland's future "when the crisis is over".
Mr Salmond made the remarks as he announced his Alba Party will hold its inaugural conference in September at Greenock Town Hall.
Speaking outside Wembley Stadium in advance of this evening's match against England, Mr Salmond said he hoped upwards of 750 delegates will be able to attend, pending Covid restrictions.
Alba failed to win any seats at the Holyrood election in May, despite seeking to create an independence "supermajority" in the Scottish Parliament.
Mr Salmond said: “It strikes me as passing strange that if you can hold Euro 2020, if you can hold a Scottish election, and if you can hold the Cop26 summit in Glasgow, then why on Earth can’t you hold a Scottish independence referendum?
"Perhaps the requisite enthusiasm is not there to push that case forward because the constitutional issue has gone cold since the Scottish election and we’ve got to heat it up again.
“If our suspicions are confirmed then come September the wind from the River Clyde will be blowing firmly in Alba’s direction at our historic inaugural conference in Greenock Town Hall.”
The Alba Party conference will be held on September 11 and 12.
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