Salmond is bookies' favourite

Bookmaker William Hill has installed Alex Salmond as 1-to-8 favourite to win the Gordon constituency for the SNP in May's General Election.

It's also offering 6-to-1 odds that he'll go on to become a Minister in the next Government.

It comes after the former SNP leader and first minister announced that he'll stand in the Gordon constituency in Aberdeenshire.

Mr Salmond's decision followed weeks of speculation after he stood down following the No result in the referendum.

He told a local party meeting that three things lay behind his decision.

Lord Smith's Commission hadn't measured up to what was promised; Gordon Brown, the guarantor of The Vow, had retired from politics; and the SNP and its allies could emerge in a commanding position after May's election:

In a statement, Scottish Labour hit back saying that being an MP isn't a retirement project and Alex Salmond only wanted it as a platform to campaign for independence.