:00:16. > :00:20.Welcome to the special programme with highlights from both the
:00:20. > :00:26.Scottish Labour and Liberal Democrat Conferences.
:00:26. > :00:30.Unusually both parties were holding their concernss simultaneously.
:00:30. > :00:40.Labour gathered in Dundee. The Lib Dems in Inverness. We will have the
:00:40. > :00:44.
:00:44. > :00:46.big speeches and debate and discussion from both.
:00:46. > :00:48.APPLAUSE For all their many differences,
:00:48. > :00:51.there is one big issue that's vital to both Labour and the Liberal
:00:51. > :00:53.Democrats just now and that, of course, is the union. Both parties
:00:53. > :00:55.want to keep Scotland well and truly in the United Kingdom.
:00:55. > :00:58.Fighting the SNP and independence was one big theme at both
:00:58. > :01:08.conferences. Later on tht programme, -- in the programme, we will be
:01:08. > :01:10.
:01:10. > :01:13.hearing from the Lib Dems, but we APPLAUSE
:01:13. > :01:15.We must have a strategy, that's what I want to set out to you today.
:01:15. > :01:20.To beat both the Tory-led Government in Westminster and the
:01:20. > :01:24.SNP Government here in Scotland. And it starts above all with
:01:24. > :01:32.understanding the times we're in and understanding the challenge we
:01:32. > :01:36.face in relation to our economy. And it starts above all, by
:01:36. > :01:40.understanding that old-fashioned Tory politics, the same politics
:01:40. > :01:47.that caused the banking crisis can create that economy that works for
:01:47. > :01:52.all the working people of Scotland and the United Kingdom and SNP
:01:52. > :01:55.politics, the politics they are practising in Government or the
:01:55. > :02:00.separatism that they would like to bring to the United Kingdom that
:02:00. > :02:03.cannot answer the challenge of creating a economy that works for
:02:03. > :02:07.all the working people of Scotland and the United Kingdom. Only Labour
:02:07. > :02:11.can answer that challenge. Only a renewed and reformed Labour Party.
:02:11. > :02:15.So instead of complaining about what the Tory-led Government is is
:02:15. > :02:25.doing, Alex Salmond should be taking action to put those young
:02:25. > :02:38.
:02:38. > :02:41.people back to work and friends... APPLAUSE
:02:41. > :02:44.My argument is, that the challenges are so great in this time, the
:02:44. > :02:46.issues are so fundamental, the crisis is so profound, it is got to
:02:46. > :02:48.be your single overriding priority to tackle those challenges. And
:02:48. > :02:52.that's the reason for the difference between the SNP and
:02:52. > :02:59.Labour. Joanne and I came into politics to make Britain fairer.
:02:59. > :03:03.Alex Salmond came into politics to change Britain's borders. That's
:03:03. > :03:09.the difference. SNP failure on youth unemployment, didn't happen
:03:09. > :03:19.by chance, it happened by choice. The SNP's choice to make separatism
:03:19. > :03:24.
:03:24. > :03:25.the priority and we must put that message across.
:03:25. > :03:28.APPLAUSE The small business struggling to
:03:28. > :03:33.get by in Stirling. It shares the same concern as the small business
:03:33. > :03:38.struggling to get by in Southampton and the pensioner in Dudley trying
:03:38. > :03:45.to keep warm, shares the same concerns as the pensioner in Dundee.
:03:45. > :03:51.Friends, we must reject attempts to divide our country by ideology or
:03:51. > :04:01.geography. We're not left-wing Scotland and right-wing end England,
:04:01. > :04:04.
:04:04. > :04:07.we are one United Kingdom. Equality, community, justice, the
:04:07. > :04:11.value that is brought me into this party. The values that brought all
:04:11. > :04:16.of us into politics. The values that must drive the renewal of
:04:16. > :04:19.Scottish Labour. The values that will help us win back trust here in
:04:19. > :04:23.Scotland. Win back trust in the United Kingdom, the values that
:04:23. > :04:33.will drive us on to victory at the next general election, the values
:04:33. > :04:38.
:04:38. > :04:42.that will enable us to transform A passionate speech from Ed
:04:42. > :04:47.Miliband. But if his focus was in transforming the country, must of
:04:47. > :04:53.the of the rest of the focus in Dundee was in transforming the
:04:53. > :04:59.The origins of our defeat last May, were deep, not recent and they
:04:59. > :05:04.demand of each of us an honest and painful reckoning. Too many saw us
:05:04. > :05:13.as being more anti-nationalist than pro Scottish. Too man saw us as a
:05:13. > :05:17.party of tribalists. So here in Dundee, our task as a
:05:17. > :05:21.party is to demonstrate by our words and deeds that we are
:05:21. > :05:28.motivated by a sense of pride, passion and possibility for
:05:28. > :05:33.Scotland and her future. We need to change and change radically, not to
:05:33. > :05:39.disallow our deepest disbeliefs but to become a better expression of
:05:39. > :05:43.them. We need to change how we we identify and select our campaigns,
:05:43. > :05:47.how we organise and fund our campaigns. We need to change so
:05:47. > :05:52.that people across Scotland who share our values, but would not
:05:52. > :05:58.consider standing as a Labour candidate, will change their mind
:05:58. > :06:02.and say, "That is where I want to be and who I want to stand with.".
:06:02. > :06:05.It is a serious point. Local Government candidates in this
:06:05. > :06:09.election, a lot of them in selection have been through a tough
:06:09. > :06:14.test about whether they were entitled to stand for Labour. That
:06:14. > :06:18.test applies to every level. If anybody who has a privilege to be
:06:18. > :06:21.an elected member to stand. We earn a right to be candidates and we
:06:21. > :06:25.have to earn the right to stay as Labour elected members.
:06:25. > :06:29.Highly the leader was signalling a review of the troops, Shadow
:06:29. > :06:34.Defence Secretary, Jim Murphy had his sights set on his enemy.
:06:34. > :06:39.It has not been in our character, it has not been in our personality
:06:39. > :06:43.to be a passive people. We change things. We shape the world. The
:06:43. > :06:49.great innovations, the great inventions. And the country that
:06:49. > :06:54.gave the world a television shouldn't be reduced to being a
:06:54. > :07:00.spectator, watching world events unfold beyond our influence on our
:07:01. > :07:06.TV screens at home. Now, I know there are other way to
:07:06. > :07:09.say talk to the Chinese Government, not just at the top table of the
:07:09. > :07:18.United Nations. I have been in trade missions to China myself and
:07:18. > :07:24.I know that they like to go on the trade talks as well. But judging by
:07:25. > :07:34.the decision on the Forth Road Bridge, it seems that the NATs do
:07:34. > :07:41.the talking and the Chinese do most of the trading.
:07:41. > :07:45.The Clyde, has built ships for 300 years. Today, thousands of jobs
:07:45. > :07:52.rely on building those aircraft carriers, that are three times
:07:52. > :07:59.longer than a football pitch. Imagine the scale of that. Now, if
:07:59. > :08:05.Scotland was to leave Britain the Clyde would be in a foreign country
:08:05. > :08:09.from the Royal Navy and while we would still argue our case, the
:08:09. > :08:14.Royal Navy has never built a carship this a foreign yard --
:08:14. > :08:19.warship in a foreign yard and the truth is, if the SNP get their way,
:08:19. > :08:23.they will achieve what the Tories at their worst under Heath and
:08:23. > :08:28.Thatcher and certainly what the rise of ship building has failed to
:08:28. > :08:33.do which is sink Scottish ship building. So let us be very clear.
:08:33. > :08:37.The Labour Party, the trade unions, and Scottish together never allowed
:08:37. > :08:47.the Tories to sink our ship building and it will be a cold day
:08:47. > :08:53.
:08:53. > :08:54.in hell before we let the NATs shut the shipyards.
:08:54. > :09:01.APPLAUSE A passionate performance from an
:09:01. > :09:05.old stager. Delegates got a confident debut from new deputy
:09:05. > :09:08.leader. Patriotism is not the voice of the SNP, it is the voice of
:09:08. > :09:14.Scotland. We all love our country, we just have different views about
:09:14. > :09:17.what is in the best interests of our country's favour. We favour
:09:17. > :09:23.partnership and co-operation, working together, fighting together.
:09:23. > :09:27.I don't want to make our nearest neighbour or biggest business
:09:27. > :09:34.competitor. I don't want to break up the social union this planet has
:09:34. > :09:44.seen in 300 years. I love my country, but no one owns patriotism.
:09:44. > :09:49.
:09:49. > :09:50.Not everyone who loves Scotland is a nationalist.
:09:50. > :09:53.APPLAUSE It's in Scotland's interests in
:09:53. > :09:55.terms of security and global standing to be a permanent member
:09:55. > :09:57.of the United Nations Security Council. Not for prestige, but to
:09:57. > :10:01.protect the most vulnerable people around the world for tyranny and
:10:01. > :10:07.oppression. Scotland's influence is greater as a G8 country. Let's
:10:07. > :10:13.never forget that if the Scottish leader as Prime Minister of the
:10:13. > :10:21.United Kingdom, that led the world's response to the financial
:10:21. > :10:26.crisis stopped a recession become a depression.
:10:26. > :10:32.Joanne Lamont is more a late developer. Delegates embraced her
:10:32. > :10:36.as an old friend. APPLAUSE
:10:36. > :10:40.Thank you. I think my children might see that as taking attention
:10:40. > :10:45.seeking behaviour a bit too far! But thank you, anyway.
:10:45. > :10:50.Conference, I want to start with a very clear message - it is time for
:10:50. > :10:55.us to stop apologising for the mistakes of the past and to start
:10:55. > :11:02.fighting for Scotland. APPLAUSE
:11:02. > :11:05.I will not talk Scotland down, but I will not be silent while under
:11:05. > :11:10.Alex Salmond children suffer in poverty and he does nothing about
:11:10. > :11:14.it. I will not be silent while he does Scotland down, while he uses
:11:14. > :11:20.the powers of devolution, not to protect Scotland from a Tory
:11:20. > :11:24.Government, but to amplify every cut they make. It is assert that
:11:24. > :11:29.had no one is putting forward the positive case for Scotland
:11:29. > :11:36.remaining in the United Kingdom. That is not true. We do. But it is
:11:36. > :11:40.not just us, the SNP do it almost every day. They do it when they say
:11:40. > :11:45.that Scotland needs to keep sterling. They do it when they say
:11:45. > :11:52.that our crucial energy sector needs the support of UK consumers
:11:52. > :11:59.investment to grow. They do it when they say our shipyards would need
:11:59. > :12:04.Royal Navy contracts to stay open. And my question is this - if even
:12:04. > :12:09.the SNP acknowledge that Scotland needs the UK for a stable currency,
:12:09. > :12:16.a growing energy market and to keep our defence industries, why would
:12:16. > :12:19.we contemplate leaving it? APPLAUSE
:12:19. > :12:23.When the Royal Bank of Scotland goes down, Scotland didn't have to
:12:23. > :12:27.negotiate with foreign governments. We didn't need to have to endure
:12:27. > :12:32.years of negotiation as the Greeks are going through. The help was
:12:32. > :12:36.automatic, given within hours. We didn't have the indignity which
:12:36. > :12:41.our neighbours had of seeking bail outs from foreign governments. What
:12:41. > :12:46.happened with RBS bail out Weah was not about Scotland's weakness, it
:12:46. > :12:51.was about the Union's strength. APPLAUSE
:12:51. > :12:56.MP. But if you express your patriotism by finding difference
:12:56. > :13:00.with others, rather than unity of purpose, go with the other guy, not
:13:00. > :13:05.with me. If you measure the love of your country in yards of tart
:13:05. > :13:10.tartan, go with the other guy, not with me. If celebrating your
:13:10. > :13:12.culture and tradition has at its heart a desire to divide, not
:13:12. > :13:16.appreciate diversity, go with the other guy.
:13:16. > :13:22.Not with me. But I ask everyone in this party,
:13:22. > :13:27.everyone in our land to come with me, to celebrate Scottish values
:13:27. > :13:32.and make them real. In a Scotland which is a land of fairness, of
:13:32. > :13:36.equality, of solidarity, a Scotland of innovation, invention and
:13:36. > :13:41.opportunity. We will renew our party to rebuild our land and we
:13:42. > :13:51.will do it by by being a better Labour, a real Labour, Scottish
:13:52. > :13:55.
:13:55. > :13:59.Labour. As Labour were meeting in Dundee,
:13:59. > :14:04.the the Liberal Democrat Conference was underway here in the Highland
:14:04. > :14:08.capital of Inverness. At the same time as Ed Miliband was addressing
:14:08. > :14:11.Labour delegates, the Liberal Democrat leader, the Deputy Prime
:14:11. > :14:15.Minister, Nick Clegg, was rallying his troops here.
:14:15. > :14:20.Do the Scottish people want to stay within family of the United Kingdom
:14:20. > :14:30.or break-up the longest and most successful political and social
:14:30. > :14:31.
:14:31. > :14:36.By hope and that of our party is that the people of Scotland choose
:14:36. > :14:40.to stay in the United Kingdom -- my hope of. As an Englishman, I
:14:40. > :14:44.believe our countries are much stronger together than they would
:14:44. > :14:49.be a part, but Scotland, like other parts of the United Kingdom has
:14:49. > :14:52.fared better in this global economic crisis than many of our
:14:52. > :14:56.European neighbours because we are part of one of the world's
:14:56. > :15:00.strongest economies. That we have all been attracted by the worst of
:15:00. > :15:04.the recession by the credibility and low interest rates the UK
:15:04. > :15:10.Government has been able to Secure and maintained that we have been
:15:10. > :15:14.protected. But the question of Scottish independence, it shouldn't
:15:14. > :15:20.just be an numbers game. Too much of the debate over independence is
:15:20. > :15:25.about what divides us, not what unites us. The people of the United
:15:25. > :15:29.Kingdom have a rich, shared heritage. We share a culture, a
:15:29. > :15:34.history, and identity. We live side by side in towns and cities across
:15:34. > :15:38.the British Isles, Scottish, English, Welsh and Northern Irish
:15:38. > :15:42.people are together every day in office and factories, school
:15:42. > :15:47.classrooms and playing fields, we have rallied together in hard times.
:15:47. > :15:52.Our forefathers fought together and died together, just as brave
:15:52. > :15:56.Scottish, English, of Welsh and Northern Irish servicemen and women
:15:57. > :16:03.are fighting side by side in for a weight Lamb's right now. For
:16:04. > :16:09.centuries, we have crossed's each other's borders -- crossed each
:16:09. > :16:13.other's borders. What Scott doesn't have any English, Welsh or Northern
:16:13. > :16:17.Irish in their family tree? I believe the bombs that bring us
:16:17. > :16:23.together are stronger than the forces that would tear us apart --
:16:23. > :16:28.the bonds. But as we build a new economy from
:16:28. > :16:32.the rubble of the Auld, Liberal Democrats in the coalition
:16:32. > :16:37.Government by giving you real, practical help in tough times. That
:16:37. > :16:42.is why we have cut your taxes, even as we have had to make difficult
:16:42. > :16:47.decisions to raise money elsewhere. Thanks to Liberal Democrat, by
:16:47. > :16:53.raising the point at which you start to pay income tax, we put
:16:53. > :16:58.�200 a year back in your pocket/yet another �130 from last month --
:16:58. > :17:03.next month. And we want to go further, lifting millions of the
:17:03. > :17:10.poorest workers out of tax altogether by raising to �10,000
:17:11. > :17:15.the amount of money you can earn tax-free. Already, we have lifted
:17:15. > :17:20.72,000 Scottish workers out of paying tax altogether. And 2
:17:20. > :17:23.million Scottish workers have received a tax cut. Liberal
:17:23. > :17:30.Democrat tax cuts for the many, not the few.
:17:30. > :17:35.APPLAUSE. While Nick Clegg spoke of the
:17:35. > :17:39.detail of managing the economy, Vince Cable but that detail into a
:17:40. > :17:43.broader perspective. We had in the UK banks which were,
:17:43. > :17:50.in several cases, having balance sheets bigger than the whole of the
:17:50. > :17:55.British economy. RBS, for example, had a balance sheet form 0.5 times
:17:55. > :18:00.the British economy, around 15 times the Scottish economy -- or
:18:00. > :18:06.0.5 times. So the consequences when things went from were absolutely
:18:06. > :18:09.events. This is something we need to reflect on in the context of the
:18:09. > :18:14.independence debate. If you have large global banks, of which the UK
:18:14. > :18:20.does, you have to make a decision on a regulator and to his old
:18:20. > :18:25.mucker responsible -- who is ultimately responsible. If you have
:18:25. > :18:30.a relatively small country taking responsibility, like Iceland did
:18:30. > :18:34.all Ireland, you can have incalculable damage. So when you
:18:34. > :18:39.are talking about an independent Government talking about
:18:39. > :18:43.responsibility for global bags, one has to think about the age immense
:18:43. > :18:48.responsibility -- banks. You could ask one of your big neighbours to
:18:48. > :18:53.do that but what this independence then mean? We are going through the
:18:53. > :18:58.very difficult period economically in the UK and it isn't just an
:18:58. > :19:03.economic policy question. I think what is essential is that we create
:19:03. > :19:08.in the UK a sense of fairness, Equity, a reaction against the
:19:08. > :19:11.enormous inequalities that we have seen. We are the voice within the
:19:11. > :19:17.coalition which argues for fair taxation, including the taxation of
:19:17. > :19:22.wealth. I am embarking on a series of reforms to curb some of the
:19:22. > :19:27.excesses of executive pay. And I think at the heart of it is the
:19:27. > :19:32.idea of responsible capitalism. Our role in the coalition, one of the
:19:32. > :19:36.key roles, is ensuring that our values, which are about
:19:36. > :19:43.responsibility in a capitalist system, are about fairness, that
:19:43. > :19:50.those values are projected to policy. And I hope you will enable
:19:50. > :19:56.us to see that through. Thank you. APPLAUSE.
:19:56. > :20:01.As Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander admitted his job
:20:01. > :20:04.was not easy. As the person who wrote our
:20:05. > :20:10.election manifesto and led the negotiating team, you might say I
:20:10. > :20:15.have a lot to answer for. My message today is simple. Be proud
:20:15. > :20:19.of what we are achieving in the UK Government. Be proud, because we
:20:19. > :20:24.are delivering big changes that are making a real difference to the
:20:24. > :20:29.lives of people in every corner of the United Kingdom. Ignore our
:20:29. > :20:33.opponents. We have nothing to apologise for and a great record to
:20:33. > :20:40.shout about. The Budget is in less than three weeks. I am sure you can
:20:40. > :20:44.keep a secret... But there are strict limits on what I can say. As
:20:44. > :20:50.Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg and I could not have been clearer. With
:20:50. > :20:55.in the tight fiscal discipline that we have set, our priority is to
:20:55. > :21:01.deliver more income tax cuts to people on low and middle incomes.
:21:01. > :21:07.It is the goal we said on the last manifesto. At the next election, I
:21:07. > :21:10.think we should go much further. I see no reason why someone who earns
:21:10. > :21:16.less than the minimum wage should pay any income tax at all. But back
:21:16. > :21:26.row limit Deborah crack -- our Liberal Democrat promise will be to
:21:26. > :21:28.
:21:28. > :21:31.raise the threshold further at the next election. And, of course,
:21:31. > :21:35.especially at a time in a -- of austerity, we need to make sure
:21:35. > :21:39.that those with the most pay the most. I have been very clear that
:21:39. > :21:44.reducing the tax burden on the wealthy would be the wrong priority
:21:44. > :21:48.for Britain. Instead, this coalition Government is asking the
:21:48. > :21:52.wealthiest pay more. We have increased capital gains tax. We
:21:52. > :21:57.have reduced tax relief from pension contributions and
:21:57. > :22:03.introduced a new bank levy. They are clamping down on tax evasion
:22:03. > :22:09.and avoidance. We have invested an initial 900 million to scrutinise
:22:09. > :22:12.the affairs of those under investigation. Whether you are have
:22:12. > :22:17.wealthy person or a small business, a football club or a bank, up the
:22:17. > :22:26.message is simple: you must pay the tax you owe and we will make sure
:22:26. > :22:32.you do, there is no hiding place. APPLAUSE.
:22:32. > :22:36.Liberal Democrat may be in power at Westminster, but in last May's
:22:36. > :22:39.Holyrood elections they lost votes and seats. On Saturday, a motion
:22:39. > :22:45.from the East Lothian local party called for a commission to be said
:22:45. > :22:49.to have made up of MPs, MSPs and party members to evaluate their
:22:49. > :22:53.progress and the treatment of the coalition after its first two years
:22:53. > :22:56.in office. There have been some outcomes that
:22:56. > :23:00.have caused bewilderment and despite the many members. Among
:23:00. > :23:04.these are the abandonment of the coalition Government but there
:23:04. > :23:12.would be no top then re organisation of the NHS. The ending
:23:12. > :23:16.of security of tenure of security - - council tenants, and the veto at
:23:16. > :23:21.the EU summit, which inexplicably leaves Scotland's financial-
:23:21. > :23:25.services industry defended in Brussels only by an empty chair.
:23:25. > :23:31.Power at any cost, this was the mantra that so many others heard of
:23:31. > :23:34.so many doorsteps in last May's elections. Former voters and
:23:34. > :23:39.supporters turned their backs in discussed in their droves at what
:23:39. > :23:43.they saw as a colossal sell-out in our decision to enter Government
:23:43. > :23:47.with the Conservatives. Power at any cost. Two years in, we know
:23:47. > :23:51.something of power but we know a lot more about cost, and frankly,
:23:51. > :23:56.the price of coalition can be very -- measured out in the careers of
:23:56. > :24:00.some of the finest politicians I have known. Party champions felt
:24:00. > :24:06.unexpectedly and unfairly by the national tide, Liberal Alliance,
:24:06. > :24:12.mentors and friends, silenced by the media portrayal and decisions
:24:12. > :24:15.taken beyond their control. An amendment asking for the
:24:15. > :24:19.commission to make quarterly and bake the leaders more accountable
:24:19. > :24:25.to conference was defeated, so the commission will meet Andy Bond, in
:24:25. > :24:28.June this year. -- will meet only once.
:24:28. > :24:32.While the Chief Secretary to the Treasury talked tough on the
:24:32. > :24:37.economy, his colleague Michael Moore has the job of handling the
:24:37. > :24:42.conflict over the referendum. The time has come to make a clear
:24:42. > :24:48.choice. As a federalist party, believing in home rule, we know
:24:48. > :24:54.where we stand. For change, against separation. The Scottish Government
:24:54. > :24:57.has no power to hold a referendum. But this matter must be decided at
:24:57. > :25:02.the ballot box, not in the courtroom, so we are consulting on
:25:02. > :25:05.how to have a referendum that is legal, fair and decisive. We want
:25:05. > :25:11.to devolve the power to Holyrood and we are working with the
:25:11. > :25:16.Scottish Government to achieve that. But our consultation makes clear
:25:17. > :25:21.the view that there should be one simple yes/no question to get a
:25:21. > :25:28.result. In January, the SNP said Scots should wait nearly three
:25:28. > :25:33.years to determine our future. But we don't need 1,000 days to decide
:25:33. > :25:39.this crucial question. We can get this done in 500 days that follow
:25:39. > :25:43.the consultations. In 500 days, you can plan the Paul, passed the law
:25:43. > :25:48.and hold the ballot. -- polling. That is enough time for Scottish
:25:48. > :25:52.people to hear the arguments, see the evidence and express their view.
:25:52. > :25:58.In the past few days, some of Scotland's biggest employers have
:25:58. > :26:03.about to highlight the impact of uncertainty and delay. Every one of
:26:03. > :26:08.them has made the point that the uncertainty caused by a stalled
:26:08. > :26:16.referendum will impact on business decisions. This is decisions impact
:26:16. > :26:20.on employment in Scotland. Delayed today kills jobs tomorrow. -- delay.
:26:21. > :26:24.So I say to the SNP, quit stalling and let's work together, get the
:26:24. > :26:28.wheels of emotion and allow the people to decide their future in
:26:28. > :26:32.500 days. It big employers provided that this
:26:32. > :26:42.that backing for Michael Moore's argument, Scottish leader Willie
:26:42. > :26:44.
:26:44. > :26:49.Rennie relied on powerful Giggling on the Gulf course with
:26:49. > :26:53.Donald Trump, who denies climate change -- golf course. On the bus
:26:53. > :27:00.with Brian Souter, the man who denies gay people equality in
:27:00. > :27:10.Scotland, and now he has got Rupert Murdoch on speed dial. Maggie
:27:10. > :27:13.
:27:13. > :27:19.Thatcher recruited me. Not to the Tories, but to this lot.
:27:19. > :27:23.The actions of her party and her in the 1980s drove me into politics. I
:27:23. > :27:30.never, ever thought we would be sharing Government with her
:27:30. > :27:35.descendants. But I am so relieved that we are. Without us, there
:27:35. > :27:40.would be no tax cut for those on low and middle incomes, there are
:27:40. > :27:45.five pound pension rise, no �1 billion a year contract, no
:27:45. > :27:48.protection for post offices, no rural fuel discount, no Scotland
:27:48. > :27:56.Bill with powers for the Scottish Parliament, and children would
:27:56. > :27:59.still be done -- detained at than Whether it is standing up against
:27:59. > :28:03.the cuts to colleges so that thousands of extra people get the
:28:03. > :28:09.chance to be all they can be, people agree with us. Whether it is
:28:09. > :28:12.about local councils but build new houses for rent with recycling and
:28:13. > :28:15.climate change on the agenda, putting schools first and building
:28:15. > :28:21.new opportunities for young people to gain skills in jobs, people
:28:21. > :28:25.agree with us. Constructive when we can be, awkward when we have to be,
:28:25. > :28:27.on the side of ordinary people, punching above our weight, strong
:28:27. > :28:36.liberal voices delivering for Scotland.
:28:36. > :28:41.APPLAUSE. Well, political Editor Brian Taylor
:28:41. > :28:45.has been at both conferences this weekend and joins me now. Brian, if
:28:45. > :28:48.I can ask you a couple of questions which are pertinent to both parties.
:28:48. > :28:52.First of all, let's take a look at the independence referendum, what
:28:52. > :28:57.have we learned this weekend about how Labour and the Liberal
:28:57. > :29:00.Democrats would like to see Scotland develop within the Union
:29:00. > :29:06.and how would you assess the possibility of both parties working
:29:06. > :29:11.together in some sort of cross the SNP No campaign? I think there will
:29:11. > :29:14.be a cross-party no campaign. We learned from Alex Salmond that the
:29:14. > :29:19.Independent roadshow, that long- term campaign, will be launched in
:29:19. > :29:25.May. By then, I think the other three parties will have to be ready
:29:25. > :29:30.with a form, at least adjacent form, of a cross-party campaign. Labour
:29:30. > :29:33.said it was our campaign they would lead to support the Union with
:29:33. > :29:38.Alastair Darling and Gordon Brown as bit players. That campaign would
:29:38. > :29:45.then be on loan to the other parties. I think the loan would be
:29:45. > :29:48.adopted. There would be an advisory team running of the joint party
:29:48. > :29:54.campaign, expected to be a Labour figure, probably Alistair Darling,
:29:54. > :29:58.at the head. Equally, you have here from the Liberal Democrats their
:29:58. > :30:04.idea of stressing their own demands of home rule, as they call it, devo
:30:04. > :30:07.max others have called it, a federal Britain, and you have the
:30:07. > :30:11.options canvassed by each of the parties. Each of them will be
:30:11. > :30:15.canvassing their own options but I am absolutely sure they will come
:30:15. > :30:20.together in a cross-party campaign. It is 10 months since both parties
:30:20. > :30:25.suffered what for them were pretty humiliating defeats in the Holyrood
:30:25. > :30:32.elections. How would you assess their mood ofs now? Both fairly
:30:32. > :30:41.gloomy, to be honest. With the side of a turnaround. If you look at the
:30:41. > :30:45.speeches of Johann Lamont and others, they both had exhortations
:30:45. > :30:51.to their parties to end of whining in the corner and come out fighting,
:30:51. > :30:56.and I think we saw some of that from both, perhaps more from Labour
:30:56. > :31:02.and the Liberal Democrats, but equally, they had a determination
:31:02. > :31:06.to advance their own case, punching above their own weight, which is
:31:06. > :31:11.fairly slight at Holyrood, so the plunge has to be quite something.
:31:11. > :31:15.Johann Lamont made the same point, stop apologising for the past and
:31:15. > :31:20.fight for the future. But will have seen these conferences as waves of