Salmond wins over party rebels on Nato

SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond faced down rebels in his own party in October 2012 and reversed its decades-long opposition to remaining a part of Nato.

In what had been seen as a key test of whether the Scottish first minister could persuade his party to abandon more unpopular policies ahead of the 2014 independence referendum, Mr Salmond won his a party motion by just a handful of votes.

ESO: Background information: Scottish independence: Cameron and Salmond strike referendum deal http://www.europeansources.info/record/scottish-independence-cameron-and-salmond-strike-referendum-deal/

The Scotsman, 21.10.12: SNP party conference: Get nuclear guarantee from Nato, leadership told http://www.scotsman.com/news/snp-party-conference-get-nuclear-guarantee-from-nato-leadership-told-1-2590701

BBC News, 19.10.12: SNP members vote to ditch the party's anti-Nato policy http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-19993694

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