23/10/2011 Scottish National Party Conference


23/10/2011

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For the last four days Inverness has been the scene of the first SNP

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gathering since their historic win in May's Holyrood elections. It's a

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biggest conference the SNP has ever had, with delegates and journalists

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from all over the world. A carefully managed opening scene

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with all the SNPs on stage was followed by the First Minister's

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opening address. And it was no surprise he wanted delegates to

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enjoy the moment. Delegates, we gather here back at the Eden Court

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in great spirits as the first majority Government, I will say

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that again, the first majority Government in the Scottish

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parliament. Alex Salmond enjoyed a joke at David Cameron's expense,

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before calling on a higher authority to justify the old claim

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at Scotland's oil. Oil, gas, which we now know will last for the next

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50 years, we know it because the Prime Minister has finally realised

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it and admitted it. Apparently, his geography teacher at Eton had told

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him it would all be over by 2000. There's another advert for Scottish

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education, ladies and gentlemen. So, we know and it's now accepted that

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oil and gas will continue for the next 40 years, at least. Oil and

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gas and hydro power and wave power and wind power and tidal power, all

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of that unrivalled, and years and years of coal reserves if we are

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allowed to mobilise them. We believe that the natural resources

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of the nation, bestowed upon us by the creator of the universe, these

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natural resources ultimately should be at the diposal of the people of

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this nation and that priority, that people priority is what separates

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us from our unionist opponents. Unusual signs of dissent surfaced

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in a conversation about EU conversation but normal service was

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resumed when the infrastructure Secretary Alec Neil, always

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something of a conference crowd- pleaser, rallied the hall with his

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characteristic firebrand rhetoric. And last week we actually got some

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very good news that will help us in the independent referendum. Because

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the UK coalition Government said that every one of their cabinet

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Ministers is going to come to Scotland regularly, from now until

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the referendum. That means that every Tory Minister is going to

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come to Scotland, and every Liberal Democrat-Tory poodle Minister is

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going to come to Scotland and every time one of them come to Scotland,

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we'll bag at least 1,000 more votes But when they come, let us ask them

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some questions. When the Transport Secretary comes, let us ask her why

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is it that the high speed rail train from London is going to stop

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at Birmingham and Manchester, and come nowhere near Scotland? When

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the Defence Secretary comes, ask him if it's still him by the same

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time when they come, get him to go to Kinross and explain to the

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people there why those two communities had to bear the brunt

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of the UK defence cuts and all the job losses that go with it. When

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the Chancellor comes, ask him why is he cutting our budget? Why is

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there a 36% cut in our capital investment budget in Scotland in

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the same time when he's raking in �14 billion a year from Scotland's

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oil revenues? The last two years, in addition to all the other

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arguments I have for independence, have found another two, two

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grandchildren. I know it's hard to believe at my young age that I can

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be a grandfather, but it is true. And what I want for Scotland and

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for them is to be able to access the best education in the world, to

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have access to the best health service in the world, and when they

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grow up in their own country, not to feel the need they have to

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immigrate to get the chance of a decent job and decent standard of

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living and allow them to feel that they can raise their children and

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their grandchildren in a Scotland we can all be proud of.

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conference was about much more than what happened at the Eden Court

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Theatre, it spilled out in discussions between members and

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infringe events. On Friday the Daily Telegraph hosted a debate in

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the city centre hotel. Raymond Buchanan was there

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they came here to debate visions of independence, at the top table the

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party's campaign director and a former treasurer. From the audience

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questions about how this party can win with a referendum at least two

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years away. I have friends who are not at all interested in politics

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and I was visiting them last week and they were saying everybody is

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talking about independence and Alex Salmond, how do we sustain that

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until 2014? To help them win the party hierarchy are actively

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embracing traditions, so an independent Scotland would keep the

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Queen, still watch the BBC and have an open border. When people do

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listen to that they'll realise this is what every other normal country

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does in the world. We can have a great relationship with our 19s,

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continue to have a social one owe all value, but we can also be a

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normal country that makes the important decisions that affect

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ourselves as individuals, as families and communities.

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doesn't that sound like a lightweight version of

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independence? Independence is your parliament being Sovereign to your

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parliament can make whatever decisions it wants and it may be

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there are a series of areas where we continue to pool our interests,

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both with our neighbours and friends on these islands but

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elsewhere in Europe and the world. The key thing is that our

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parliament can make whatever decisions it likes, and that means

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if any of these arrangements on the optimal in the future you can

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change them. If that seems too strong for voters, the SNP have

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another option. More powers for Holyrood, but not independence.

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It's been called devolution max. It's not what delegates here want,

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but it will be better than nothing at all.

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With the consultation under way on whether to allow same-sex marriage,

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a fringe meeting chaired by Alan Smith gathered a panel from the

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Scottish youth parliament, and the campaigning group for lesbian, gay,

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bisexual and transtkpwepbder -- gender people. The view of the

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Scottish Government on the consultation is this: We tend

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towards the view that religious ceremonies for civil partnerships

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should no longer be prohibited and that same-sex marriage should be

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introduced so that same-sex couples have the option of getting married

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if that is how they wish to demonstrate their commitment to

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each other. We also believe, crucially, we also believe that no

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religious body or its sell Brants should be required to carry out

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same-sex marriage or civil partnership ceremonies.

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Scotland's recently published social attitude survey of 201061%

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of Scots stated they supported same-sex marriage. Civil

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partnerships are very similar to marriage in terms of the legal

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rights afforded to the couple. They're not quite the same and

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they're certainly seen as second- class. When the debate was opened

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to a contributions from the floor, many of the most passionate

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contributions came with a religious perspective. But although the

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meeting was mostly attended by supporters of a change in the law,

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there was a wide-range of opinions represented. Equal marriage is

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about strengthening the institution of marriage, and the legal concept

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of marriage and, frankly, the spiritual concept of marriage. It

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is not about taking away from it. If we look at the bible and God's

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judgment on homosexuality, I believe that whether our nation

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goes forward to independence under the SNP, will depend what the SNP

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does with this, whether we continue to be blessed by God and able to

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lead the nation, or whether God's blessing will fall from us. I have

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been married for 32 years and I have never understood why my

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marriage had anything to do with a Church and not to do with the state.

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I would like to propose that in an independent Scotland marriage is

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something that is recognised by the state and thereafter can be blessed

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by a Church if that's what the two people want. I would like to say

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something to the churches, no one is imposing anything on the

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churches. It is up to you to have that debate. But what I would say

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to you is listen to your congregations. Listen to what they

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have to say and I peek for my Church, and I know that a majority

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of Catholics are in favour of gay marriage in Scotland.

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The thing is, first of all, they go on about equality, equality, you

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know, and between man and woman and we all have to have the same rights

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and everything. Well, as what is stated homosexuals do have the same

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rights in civil partnerships to tie the knot. They can get it done with

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a Reg is strar -- in a registrar. That's it, it's marriage in all but

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name. The Justice Secretary is no stranger to controversy. Events in

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Libya last week were a reminder of the reaction after he released the

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man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing. And his planned reform of

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the police has also been controversial.

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We will ensure the maintenance of the outstanding police service to

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Scotland's communities through a single police service. The status

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quo is not an option. Let me challenge some of the hypocrisy

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from those who opposed a single service. The Liberal Democrats

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criticised reform that was taken to protect the outstanding Forensic

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Science Service we have in Scotland. We have consolidated it, but

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protected it. Ensuring not just that there will be state of the art

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premises in Dundee, but a continuing service in Edinburgh and

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Aberdeen. But what of the Liberal Democrats been doing in the

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coalition south of the border? They're privatising the service,

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lock, stock and laboratory. Their claims on the Police Service were

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hypocritical and they got the There have been some legitimate

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concerns raised, but they are being addressed. We will ensure there is

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neither a centralisation, lack of accountability or interference in

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governance. Our police and prosecution service will continue

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to serve as at home and abroad, the events in Libya in the last 24

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hours may be bringing one issue to a conclusion. But the Lockerbie

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investigation remains a live inquiry. Police and prosecutors, as

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they have done for 23 years, will take whatever action is necessary

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and follow any lines of inquiry in the interests of justice.

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In her speech on Friday, Nicola Sturgeon reflected both on broad

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issues of being the party of Government and also on her own

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specific remit of Health. The real one of our Government is that we

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have the confidence, the conviction and ability to govern by the power

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and strength of our argument and that is what we will do. Of course,

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in the last Parliament, as a minority, we occasionally won the

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argument but lost the vote. That is what happened on alcohol minimum

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pricing. Labour's decision to vote down minimum pricing on spend to

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this day. That vote, that single vote, said that if they cared more

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about petty party politics than about the public health of our

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nation. And no party that gets its priorities that wrong is fit to

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govern our country. I can tell you today that our minimum pricing bill

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will be reintroduced to Parliament within the next month. I am so very

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proud to be part of a government that has the courage to do what is

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right. Back last year, dozens of clinicians signed a newspaper

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advert backing as for minimum pricing. Just last week, 60 leading

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clinicians in England, speaking on behalf of tens of thousands more,

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wrote to the newspapers pleading with the UK Government to abandon

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their plans to privatise the National Health Service. Those

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pleas fell on deaf ears. It now seems inevitable that the Tories,

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aided and abetted by the Liberal partners, will break-up the NHS in

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England. Our country may not be independent yet, but thankfully,

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our NHS is independent. And let me make this very clear, the NHS in

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Scotland will remain a public service, paid for by the public and

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accountable to the public. There will be no privatisation of the

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National Health Service in Scotland. Delegates, for the UK parties, the

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independence debate is not about the best interests of Scotland, it

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never has been. They just want to keep control of Scotland's

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resources. David Cameron gave the game away when he came north last

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week to lay claim to the next generation of North Sea oil. Hear

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this, David Cameron, it always was Scotland's Coyle, it still is

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Scotland's oil and it is time that the Scottish people got the benefit

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of it. -- always was Scotland's oil. Devolution has created anomalies,

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one of which highlighted in a fringe meeting about broadcasting.

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We mentioned going forward in terms of independence, where does the

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Scottish digital channels than the light of all this? -- stand? Do we

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want to maintain the BBC? People say, close it down. What is

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important to people? It will be things like, getting EastEnders. We

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need a clear statement about what we want out of the BBC if we get

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full devolution and control. These are big questions. Part of that is

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to have influence in terms of the licence fee, representation in the

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BBC Trust, we have some concessions there. There are some things in

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terms of what will be done in Westminster, pursuing some

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amendments to make sure that we have, under devolution, a better

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influence. But we have to make sure we have a range of choice on the

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digital network to make sure that we have one alternative you. Within

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that. -- An alternative point within that.

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Angus Robertson, who masterminded the election campaign, outlined his

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strategy to drive on a yes vote in the independence referendum.

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will work as hard as possible in an unprecedented national campaign to

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secure a majority yes vote for a sovereign independent Scotland.

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CHEERING. So... LAUGHTER. We will start by

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galvanising and motivating members and supporters. We will start by

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working with the many supporters of independence with no party

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affiliation and was of other parties. We will engage with

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different sectors of society to raise confidence, optimism and

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understanding of the independence case. We will reach out within

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communities, door by a door, street by street, in the most

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unprecedented campaign of globalisation and communication by

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the SNP and in the history of Scottish politics. Already at a

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national level, we have started the necessary project planning,

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including research and brand development. We are Updating the

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activate system to deliver the best computer support. We have also

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started the necessary financial planning to properly fund the

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independence campaign. And today, I am delighted to confirm that the

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Independent's campaign has been generously supported by the late,

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great Scot's poet, Edwin Morgan, with the substantial contribution

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of �918,000, which is ring-fenced for the referendum campaign.

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Following him, Finance Secretary, John Swinney, giving a flavour of

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how nationalists plan to take on those who will argue that Scotland

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cannot afford to go it alone. course, the forces of negativity

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will tell us that Scotland cannot stand on her own two feet. Let me

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give you a taste of what we will see about that. As the global

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economy recovers from recession, all countries run a deficit, but

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the UK deficit is higher than that in Scotland. In four of the last

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five years, Scotland has run a budget surplus. The UK was in

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deficit of each of those five years. Scotland contributes more to do you

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keep in tax revenue than we get back in UK public spending. --

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contributes more to the UK. Scotland is contributing to the

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United Kingdom, our country pays its way. The figure sure that, with

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a geographical share of off-shore Resources, Scotland would be the

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6th wealthiest country in the world, 10 places ahead of the UK. This is

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the time it to put the wealth of Scotland to work or the people of

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Scotland. Alex Salmond's keynote address focused on what he sees as

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the achievements of his Government. He spoke about energy and made

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clear his opposition to interference from Westminster on

:21:34.:21:41.

the vote on independence. A good phrase, that humanity of the realm,

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a concept developed in medieval Scotland to describe an idea of

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community identity be on sectional interest. The best Scots term would

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be the common Weal. It does not ignore the fact that, sometimes as

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a government, we have to take sides with in Scotland as well as taking

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Scotland's side, particularly when times are difficult, asking the

:22:05.:22:09.

rich to help the poor, the strong to help the weak, the parable to

:22:09.:22:15.

help the powerless. Right now, that focuses on jobs than the economy.

:22:15.:22:20.

John Swinney spends every waking minute to encourage businesses to

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grow and attract new country -- attract new companies to Scotland.

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We have the most competitive business tax resumed across the

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silence. 80,000 small businesses either pay no rates or have

:22:34.:22:39.

substantial discounts. We know that their success is the key to future

:22:39.:22:46.

job creation. We shall continue to or for a crucial incentives. The

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Small Business Bonus stays in SNP Scotland. -- continue to offer

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crucial incentives. But also, in the last few months, a procession

:23:01.:23:05.

of major international companies have chosen Scotland as the place

:23:05.:23:12.

to conduct business. The message has been the same, Scotland has the

:23:12.:23:17.

people and resource to allow them to conduct international operations

:23:17.:23:24.

from its Scottish base. What have the UK Government focused on? That

:23:24.:23:28.

is why must we focus on jobs and investment? They have formed a

:23:28.:23:35.

Cabinet sub-committee to attack Scottish independence. Cameron,

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cloud, Oswald, Alexander work on a committee looking at doing down

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Scotland while the youth -- whilst the European Monetary System brings

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on collapse, whilst inflation is more than double its target. These

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politicians wonder why be carried no conference -- while -- the

:23:56.:24:02.

wonder why they carry no confidence. The message is clear. Stop

:24:02.:24:12.
:24:12.:24:13.

attacking Scottish aspirations and start supporting economic recovery.

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Scotland, our country, has the great history of energy resources

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in Europe. On Thursday, I went to announce the redevelopment of the

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great fabrication site. Thousands of jobs can be developed. Marine

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engineering will come alive and the Highlands of Scotland. Today, I

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announce another important development in the journey to lead

:24:41.:24:46.

in wave and tidal power. A new fund to support Marine Energy

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commercialisation. His words -- this will support the development

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of scaling up devices currently on test in Scottish waters. This is

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part of a �35 million investment over three years supporting the

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testing technology, infrastructure and deployment. Scotland is leading

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the race to develop off-shore renewables. Our nation moves up

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another gear. The message is clear, in Marine Energy, Scotland rules

:25:16.:25:26.
:25:26.:25:34.

the waves. In the way to Inverness, on Thursday, I noticed an outdoor

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company called no limits. It is a beautiful idea. But it carries more

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punch for the Scots. No limits to ambition, your courage, your

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journey. It sums up the spirit of freedom that many of us take from

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the magnificent landscape in which we wish for society and for

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politics. It is the same spirit that was reflected in the world of

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Charles Stewart Purnell. No man has the right to fix the boundary of a

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march of the nation. No man should say to his country, you should go

:26:10.:26:15.

no further. The days of Westminster politicians telling Scotland what

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to do, or what to think, a Rover. The Scottish people will set the

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:26:30.:26:30.

agenda for the future. -- those days are over.

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Brian Taylor joins me. You can feel the electricity amongst delegates

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looking ahead to the independence referendum. The First Minister

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signalled he would be prepared to consider your Pope -- consider the

:26:45.:26:49.

option of devolution max. How are some members feeling about this?

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Given the extent of the prize, -- Given the extent of the prize,

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which they have fought for for the whole existence, it would be

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unsurprising that some people did not question this. I do think it is

:27:06.:27:12.

only one or two. I was astonished by the extent of tolerance and

:27:12.:27:16.

leeway given to Alex Salmond, given he is deferring their referendum

:27:16.:27:20.

for a few more years. I thought there would be more than a party

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saying to get on with it. We had Angus Robertson setting out in

:27:24.:27:30.

great detail the strategy. He says, starting now, with independence

:27:30.:27:35.

ambassadors going out to every street in Scotland, although be a

:27:35.:27:40.

referendum being deferred, they are not wasting time. They are very

:27:40.:27:44.

much focusing on the independence option, not the alternative

:27:44.:27:50.

proposal that may be on the ballot paper. There must be a lot of party

:27:50.:27:55.

members pinching themselves that they are in this position. John

:27:55.:27:59.

Swinney said he first came as a teenager to an SNP conference and,

:27:59.:28:04.

30 years on, he finds himself at the forefront of by the

:28:04.:28:08.

independence referendum. Something he questioned would ever happen in

:28:08.:28:13.

his career. The mood of this conference has been ecstatic. It

:28:13.:28:18.

has also been contained and controlled ecstasy. People know

:28:18.:28:22.

they still have to fight that battle. In the conference hall,

:28:22.:28:26.

they are talking to the converted. It is now time to convince the rest

:28:27.:28:31.

of Scotland. The rival parties will vigorously pursue the case for

:28:31.:28:35.

containing -- for continuing the union.

:28:36.:28:39.

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