Scotland has embarked on an irreversible process leading towards independence, the country's first minister has said.
Speaking at the start of the SNP's annual conference in Inverness, Alex Salmond said that by "winning a platform of 20 Scottish National Party MPs, we can transform the terms of politics".
"We are on a journey to make Scotland the best nation we can be," he said.
"That is our purpose – and we've got what it takes to achieve it.
"And our national journey involves three stages.
"Step one was the restoration of the Scottish Parliament after three centuries – the nation's democratic heartbeat – and the SNP played our full part in the Yes-Yes campaign.
"Within a decade of the new parliament, step two was the election of an SNP administration to provide bold and effective leadership – recognising that Scotland needs a real government, not a peely-wally 'executive'.
"And step three is achieving the full opportunities and responsibilities that come with independence.
"And that too will be achieved, because we are now in an irreversible process of independence, and closer to it than ever before."
Salmond was speaking at the start of the SNP's 75th annual conference.
The party currently has seven MPs at Westminster, including Salmond, and is in power in Scotland as a minority government.
Salmond told the party faithful that he wants neither Labour nor the Conservatives to hold power at Westminster after the general election, which must be held by June 2010.
"I want a hung parliament because a Westminster parliament that is hung on Scottish votes will at long last swing in Scotland's direction," he said.
"Let me give you a clear example.
"Only yesterday, the prime minister wrote to me refusing the reasonable request of the Scottish Government to have ministerial representation at the Copenhagen summit as part of the UK delegation – despite the world-leading climate change legislation that Scotland has passed.
"The prime minister conceded that [former Labour first minister] Jack McConnell attended a sustainable development conference in Johannesburg in 2002 within the UK delegation – but he did give a very full explanation for this total inconsistency.
"The reason for the difference, Mr Brown said, is that the issue is 'not the same'. So that's clear then!
"Delegates, things will not be 'the same' if we deliver 20 SNP MPs next year.
"Things will be much, much better, and the SNP will use our clout to Scotland's maximum advantage.
"Instead of saying no to Scotland's reasonable requests, Westminster will start saying yes."
The SNP conference continues until Sunday.
Article Comments
As an English tax-payer i say it can't happen quickly enough, and for the record, being a 'full' member of the EU, as Salmond and the SNP are 'fully committed to', is not 'Independence'.
15th Oct 2009 at 5:29 pm by Joe
