SNP party conference: ‘We’re ruled by a bunch of Snootys,’ says Alex Salmond

ALEX Salmond launched an explosive attack on the Westminster government yesterday, asking why a “bunch of incompetent Lord Snootys” still held power over Scotland.

In his keynote address to his party’s conference in Perth, the SNP leader mocked the public school backgrounds of UK ministers as he argued that independence was the only way to escape a Westminster government that was incapable of putting Scotland first.

The First Minister also used his speech to reach out to the Scots who believe in more powers for Holyrood but reject full independence and whose crucial votes will determine the future of the country.

Describing independence as a “process” rather than a “single event”, he said the SNP’s cause was about more than achieving the party’s constitutional objective.

As he laid out his plans to persuade people to vote “Yes” in the referendum, which will take place in 2014, he said 
independence was the only way to protect Scotland’s universal benefits, such as free prescriptions and free care for the elderly. He also revealed that legislation will be introduced at Holyrood to guarantee all 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in the poll.

In a boost to the economy, Salmond announced a £2 million grant to help the creation of 380 jobs in Glasgow by the mobile company Three, which is expanding its operations in the city.

He went on to confirm an £11m investment to extend a Family Nurse Partnership that has been operating in Lothian, Tayside, Fife and Glasgow to help young parents give children a healthier start in life.

But Salmond reserved his most impassioned remarks, calculated to expose the differences between the British and Scottish leaderships, for his attack on a UK government hit by political woes in the past 24 hours. Andrew Mitchell stood down as chief whip after admitting swearing in a confrontation with police officers in Downing Street and Chancellor George Osborne engaged in a stand-off with a ticket inspector who told him to move out of a first-class train carriage because he had not paid the correct fare.

“Westminster would put 
this first-class nation in the second-class carriages,” Salmond said, adding: “No more second best for Scotland.”

He continued: “There is a serious point for us and for Scotland. Why on earth do we ­allow this bunch of incompetent Lord Snootys to be in positions of authority over our country?

“Why does the Labour Party believe that they can survive getting into bed with them in the No campaign?”

He added: “Just think of it Labour, the party which brought the country to its financial knees, unites with the Tories, the party of omni-shambles, to tell Scotland that we are incapable of running our country. The message is clear enough ‘abandon hope all ye who vote No’.”

Salmond said it was now “game on for Scotland” and urged all those who believed in more powers for Holyrood to vote “Yes” in 2014. “Our cause is not and never had been just about achieving our constitutional objective,” he said. “It is about using that power to create a more prosperous economy and a more just society. We know there are many of our fellow citizens, who remain to be convinced about the merits of independence, but we also know that there is a majority for change.”

Salmond said people wanted economic powers, defence, social welfare and European representation to be decided in Scotland. “You have a parliament which decides on social welfare, Trident, the economy and represents Scotland on the world stage and you have an independent parliament,” he said.

Labour’s plans to review Scotland’s system of universal benefits were denounced by the First Minister.

However, Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont, countered: “He could end the shame of trumpeting free care for the elderly when the reality is many of our old people miss out on the care they need, while others get just 15 minutes care per visit because he won’t fund it.

“This is a man who believes in cheap slogans, but won’t fund the policy behind them.”