Salmond, 59, said he had made the decision because it was time to hand over the struggle to a new generation.

Typically of Salmond he stood down not with the kind words of a retiree, but with the point-scoring aggression of an old warrior.

Salmond had initially asked for a package of additional powers, known as “Devo max” to be included on the ballot paper.

He was comprehensively out-foxed by Salmond, the Scottish National Party leader, who now finds himself in a win-win position.