Riding high on his landslide victory in May, Alex Salmond’s first annual legislative programme statement today was clear in its intentions – the SNP is focused on Scottish interests, and Scottish interests alone.
Salmond stressed throughout his speech the SNP’s opposition to the spending cuts introduced by the coalition government. Indeed, he emphasised the need to strengthen the Scotland Bill in order to grant further economic powers to Scotland, without which he said Scottish recovery is endangered.
There was clear animosity towards the Westminster government, with phrases such as waiting for London to show initiative “would be a hazardous policy and a long wait”, and that Scotland was “waiting for London to show humility”. Scottish policies that are the source of resentment in England including free university education for Scottish students were resolutely defended, while Scotland-only measures such as free prescriptions and the continuation of education maintenance allowance were also boasted about.
Further Scottish nationalism was triumphed with proposals for Scottish studies to be introduced in schools in order to teach Scottish history, arts and literature, a measure that received calls of support in the Chamber.
Salmond didn’t just stick to courting controversy in Westminster however. Reintroducing the previously-defeated bill to set a minimum price for alcohol, Salmond knew he was provoking dissent from the other parties in Holyrood, while plans for tougher sanctions for football violence are unlikely to be popular north of the border. The recent news regarding Murdo Fraser’s plans to disband the Scottish Conservative Party was gloated about, with Salmond stating that it was a change of attitude towards Scotland that was needed, not a change of name.
Overall, Scottish pride was clearly paramount. Time and again Salmond justified measures by stating that they would make Scotland a leader in whatever field he was discussing, such as announcing £70 billion investment in green energy in order to ensure that Scotland becomes the home of renewable energy. Scottish independence was inevitably mentioned, despite the referendum not being scheduled for another two years. Salmond was at pains to emphasise the support Scottish independence had from the public, repeating how independence from interfering Westminster would improve all Scottish lives.
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