The Alba Party has announced it will stand candidates in 20 of 57 Scottish seats at the general election next month, but party leader Alex Salmond will not be one.

The former First Minister has announced his intention to stand at the Holyrood elections in 2026 in Banff and Buchan, a seat currently held by the SNP's Karen Adam.

Across the North-east, the only candidate Alba has announced thus far is Charlie Abel in Aberdeen North.

Mr Salmond's party had two MPs sitting at Westminster prior to parliament being dissolved, albeit both were elected representing the SNP.

The party will be hoping to make gains next month, although the ambition is to get 15% of the vote in the next Holyrood election, expected in 2026, and return 20 MSPs to parliament.

Despite standing in barely a third of Scottish seats, Alba could yet play a pivotal role in the election on July 4.

Unlikely to win any seats (backed up by polling data), the pro-independence party will likely take votes from the SNP, which is already forecasted to lose a significant percentage of its seats.

Mr Salmond insists this isn't the case, saying his party will "mobilise" independence voters.

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