I'm ready to be First Minister - Salmond

Reluctant Hero · I'm ready to be First Minister - Salmond

Salmond 'ready to rule Scotland'

SNP leader Alex Salmond has told his party's conference he is ready to be the next first minister of Scotland.
It came as Mr Salmond unveiled his party's programme for the first 100 days of government, if they win power.

Addressing the SNP conference in Glasgow, Mr Salmond pledged movement on class sizes, health, control of oil revenues and independence.

But Chancellor Gordon Brown said the SNP's policies were not properly thought out.

Mr Salmond reaffirmed his commitment to an independence referendum within the four-year Scottish Parliament term.

He said the SNP had an unprecedented momentum ahead of the poll on 3 May.

The SNP leader hit out at Prime Minister Tony Blair for "coming up to Scotland to talk down to us".

Mr Salmond promised a smaller government, which would fight for Scotland's rights abroad, co-operate with the UK Government where needed and work towards lower and fairer taxation.

He also vowed to challenge Trident being replaced on the Clyde and seek early talks with Westminster on transferring responsibility for North Sea oil to Holyrood.

'Think big'

"Scotland may be small in population, but we are not small in thought or ambition. We are only small if we think small," he said.

"The only thing really small about Scotland is the small mindedness of those currently in charge. The SNP think bigger and better.

"And how absurd of Labour to argue that this supposed 'best small country' is somehow incapable of running all of our own affairs."

On Saturday, Nationalists received a boost when the leading Scottish businessman Brian Souter announced he was donating £500,000 to the SNP election campaign.

It came after the former chair of the Bank of Scotland, Sir George Mathewson, voiced his support for Scottish independence.

However, in a newspaper interview, Chancellor Gordon Brown said: "I don't hear the current leaders of the financial services industry repeating these things."

Although the SNP are ahead in the opinion polls, because of the voting system in Scotland it is unlikely that any party will have an overall majority after the elections.

If the SNP is the largest group, Mr Salmond knows he will have to enter talks with other parties.

However, the Chancellor, tipped by many to take over from Prime Minister Tony Blair when he steps down later this year, attacked the Nationalists.

He said there were holes in the party's plans to replace the council tax with a new local income tax.

The SNP revealed details of the scheme earlier this week, but Mr Brown said they had "fallen apart" when asked if it would apply to unearned income.

"They have fallen apart on spending because we have shown in great detail how all the spending commitments of the SNP just do not add up," he said.

The conference also heard a message of support from long-term SNP supporter Sir Sean Connery.

Sir Sean told delegates in his broadcast that the party offered a "new renaissance of confidence" in culture.

"All of my life-experience tells me that an independent Scotland will be successful," he said.

The conference then heard proposals for funding of the arts to be improved to make it easier to access funds.

On climate change, the SNP said it would introduce a bill setting mandatory carbon reduction targets of 3% a year.

The pledge came from environment spokesman Richard Lochhead, who said Scotland could go "much, much further" than Westminster's plans for tackling climate change.

But the Green Party challenged the Nationalist environmental credentials, saying the party backed major new roads, a second Forth crossing and airport expansion.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6462891.stm

kevin04

what I liked with eck's speach was it was pro-scotland and positive, no mention of wee jack or his labour party, great speach alex and well done son..

SouthernJock

Jack apparently didnt like Alex's speech, so much so Labour hurredly convened a press conference today, as it appear they have been caught with their pants down (nothing knew for Jack then!) in the campaign stakes. Coverage of the SNP coference was good and the speech from Alex Salmond received possitively. The important aspect of which was that he set out his stall on what SNP will do in the first 100 days, it was also positive about Scotland ans stated that they would work with Gordon Brown on most things apart from Trident. Needless to say Labour caught in the trousers at ankles position, Jack obviously received what for from Blair, massive breifing with the usual suspects like Hamish McDonnell of the Scotsman by labour and the usual negative approach by Labour and its press cheerleaders

SouthernJock

By the way I liked Alex Salmonds speech, which I found constructive and possitive
at no point was it confrontational, nor did he threaten to be awkeward, so was amazed (but not surprised) that labour and its press puppets twisted it.
The Scottish voters must now be seeing the clear blue water between Alex Salmonds possitive and managerial approach to that of the pure negative claptrap from Jack McConnell

Jimbo

mairead

Well we've all been raised not to believe what we read in the papers haven't we.
There isn't one unbiased tabloid. What I object to most of all is that it is the opinions of one man that these papers print, that of the editor.

SLG

At least some of the papers (Scotsman and Herald) have opened up their articles to online comments.

Jimbo

Aventinian

SLG

October1974

an interview with AS with the BBC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay...a_y4&mode=related&search=

kevin04

Good interview from Alex and on good form as his usual self, He really does stand out when it comes to candidates for First Minister, He does his best to answer every question and doesn't dodge the question unlike some,