By Steve Bargeton, political editor

ALEX SALMOND will effectively launch the SNP’s campaign for the next general election if, as is widely expected, he is elected as the new party leader today.

The result of the election of new leader and deputy leader will be announced at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh at 10.30 am.

Almost 80% of the SNP’s 8000-plus members took part in the party’s first one-member-one-vote election.

Mr Salmond has been the odds-on favourite to win ever since he unexpectedly announced he was standing just as nominations closed in July.

Nicola Sturgeon, who stood down as a leadership candidate to support Mr Salmond, is expected to be elected deputy leader.

As Mr Salmond is an MP, it would be Ms Sturgeon or one of the other two candidates standing for deputy—Fergus Ewing and Christine Grahame—who will represent the SNP at Holyrood.

Mr Salmond has vowed that he intends to lead the party from Westminster in next year’s general election.

And tonight, in what would be his first official engagement as SNP leader, he will come to Dundee for the adoption meeting of Stewart Hosie as the party’s candidate for Dundee East at Westminster.

Mr Hosie is the husband of Dundee East MSP Shona Robison.