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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Tony Blair to lead attack on SNP | Tony Blair to lead attack on SNP |
| (about 12 hours later) | |
| The prime minister is to urge his party in Scotland to step up the fight against the Scottish National Party. | The prime minister is to urge his party in Scotland to step up the fight against the Scottish National Party. |
| Tony Blair will be addressing the Scottish Labour conference in Oban, providing him with a chance to bid farewell to the party in Scotland. | |
| He will urge activists to redouble their efforts against the apparently resurgent Scottish National Party. | |
| However, the Nationalists said Mr Blair was "a crushing liability" for his party's Holyrood election campaign. | |
| Mr Blair will lead the attack on independence in his speech while First Minister Jack McConnell concentrates on his own policy agenda. | |
| BBC Scotland political editor Brian Taylor said: "This will be Tony Blair's last Scottish Labour conference as party leader. | BBC Scotland political editor Brian Taylor said: "This will be Tony Blair's last Scottish Labour conference as party leader. |
| This will be a working conference. A weekend to decide the basis of the policies that will make the lives of Scots better Jack McConnellFirst Minister | This will be a working conference. A weekend to decide the basis of the policies that will make the lives of Scots better Jack McConnellFirst Minister |
| "Some still hope he might hasten his departure - to clear the air before the Holyrood elections in May. | "Some still hope he might hasten his departure - to clear the air before the Holyrood elections in May. |
| "Some London Labour figures are fretting that the Scottish party isn't tough enough on the SNP, but Mr McConnell's aides insist that he has a clear strategy, building to direct confrontation in the run-up to the election." | "Some London Labour figures are fretting that the Scottish party isn't tough enough on the SNP, but Mr McConnell's aides insist that he has a clear strategy, building to direct confrontation in the run-up to the election." |
| The first minister is to use the conference to stress that Scottish Labour should be confident going into the next election. | The first minister is to use the conference to stress that Scottish Labour should be confident going into the next election. |
| His speech will highlight growth in the economy, reductions in hospital waiting times, cutting crime, improving education, creating employment and tackling poverty. | His speech will highlight growth in the economy, reductions in hospital waiting times, cutting crime, improving education, creating employment and tackling poverty. |
| Mr McConnell will tell delegates: "Labour in the Scottish Parliament has already delivered so much. | Mr McConnell will tell delegates: "Labour in the Scottish Parliament has already delivered so much. |
| This failing, discredited prime minister is now on his last legs Alex SalmondSNP leader | |
| "From the smoking ban to tough action on anti-social behaviour, from growing Scotland's economy to the massive investment in schools, Labour has improved Scotland. But we are ambitious for more. | "From the smoking ban to tough action on anti-social behaviour, from growing Scotland's economy to the massive investment in schools, Labour has improved Scotland. But we are ambitious for more. |
| "So this will be a working conference. A weekend to decide the basis of the policies that will make the lives of Scots better. | "So this will be a working conference. A weekend to decide the basis of the policies that will make the lives of Scots better. |
| "No glitz, nor triumphalism. No taking the Scottish people for granted. Just hard work." | "No glitz, nor triumphalism. No taking the Scottish people for granted. Just hard work." |
| Before Mr Blair made his speech, the SNP published details of a poll it had commissioned from YouGov. | |
| Political legacy | |
| It asked 1,034 people whether they would be more or less likely to vote for Labour if Mr Blair was still prime minister at the time of the Holyrood vote. | |
| The SNP said 24% said they would be less likely to vote Labour, 7% would be more likely to vote Labour and 60% said it would make no difference. | |
| SNP leader Alex Salmond said: "This failing, discredited prime minister is now on his last legs. | |
| "These new figures show that his political legacy may be playing a key part in losing the 2007 Scottish election for the Labour Party." |