Alex Salmond’s Sun backers knock SNP’s 'failure to make the case' on independence in paper’s key editorial

The Sun’s Scottish edition of its landmark editorial laying out the paper’s stance on the country’s major issues took a swipe at the SNP’s campaign for Scottish independence on Wednesday, declaring the government had “failed to make a convincing and compelling case for Scotland to go it alone”.The paper backed Alex Salmond at the 2011 Scottish elections and the SNP went on to win a landslide victory, but a year ahead of the Scottish referendum on independence, the paper set the tone for its coverage of the referendum campaigns.“We always back politicians who do what is best for our readers,” the paper said. “That is why we got behind the SNP at the last Holyrood election.“We remain friendly critics but not slavish supporters. We are never slow to tell Alex Salmond and Co when they get things wrong.“The SNP and the Yes campaign have so far failed to make a convincing case for Scotland to go it alone.”The editorial went on to criticise the Better Together campaign for becoming “bogged down in scaremongering stories to the point they ought to change their name to Worse Apart”.The Scottish version of Wednesday’s paper took on a much less emphatic cover than the UK’s super-patriot This Is Britain wrap edition, instead featuring a full-page saltire, the headline “A New Dawn” and the strapline: “Scotland has always led the world by innovation. Now that nation’s favourite paper is transforming for the digital age.” The editions come the day before The Sun launches its paywall.In February this year, Salmond received the praise of Rupert Murdoch himself on Twitter.

A New Dawn: The Scottish version of Wednesday's big edition

Alex Salmond clearly most brilliant politician in U.K. Gave Cameron back of his hand this week. Loved by Scots.

— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) February 19, 2012