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SNP Leader Alex Salmond MP today (Friday) stated that the Tories were bending with the political wind following the publication of their latest policy document.
Their new paper calls for financial independence for the Scottish Parliament.
Mr Salmond said:
"Even the Tories are now bending with the Independence winds of change. There is now a growing momentum behind Independence which even the Tories cannot resist.
"The problem with this policy paper is that it's clear that the Tories are not adopting this stance out of conviction or principle, but because they are an endangered species in Scotland who are being buffeted along by prevailing opinion.
"This is the 2006 equivalent of the infamous 1968 'Declaration of Perth' where under similar pressure from the SNP the Tories announced their conversion to devolution, a promise on which they later reneged.
"Scots who want a real Parliament with real powers to change our country for the better will vote for the SNP next May, as they know the Tories cannot and will not deliver.
"This announcement will also cause further consternation within Tory ranks, and many of their activists will be regretting not taking the opportunity to respond to the consultation on this issue.
"In the last few months the anti-Scottish Tories have commended Margaret Thatcher's 'difficult' policies as being right for Scotland, they've stood up for the retention of the unfair Council Tax system and have also promised to prop up Mr McConnell's Labour Party if they loose popular support in next year's Scottish election. It's no wonder that some senior Tory activists have been calling for the deselection of all their sitting MSPs.
"This litany of political ineptitude only underlines the reasons why in the eight opinion polls in Scotland this year, the Tories' support is just below 13 per cent on average, a full 3 points lower than their miserable performance in the last Scottish election.
"Scots know that in order to deliver the progress Scotland needs, only the SNP can beat Labour in next year's elections. A vote for the Tories will be a vote to hold our country back with Mr McConnell as First Minister.
NOTE FOR EDITORS:
In an email sent to all Tory candidates on the 14th June 2006, Peter Duncan said of the Tory Policy Consultation:
"So far, there has been a poor response to the initial consultation paper, launched at the beginning of March. To that end, we invite you to respond to the consultation paper."
Author : SNP Press Office
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