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Campaigning continues for parties Parties clash on Union birthday
(1 day later)
Scotland's politicians are set to spend the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union trying to sway the country's remaining undecided voters. Prime Minister Tony Blair has said that Thursday's election would present a "fundamental choice" for voters.
Education will feature heavily for both the SNP, who will be in East Kilbride, and the Liberal Democrats who will focus on their policies for schools. Speaking in Edinburgh on the 300th anniversary of the Union, he said Labour had the best policies on education, health and the economy.
Prime Minister Tony Blair also hits the campaign trail for Labour. SNP leader Alex Salmond, called on Mr Blair to apologise for the Iraq war.
The Conservative leader Annabel Goldie is visiting Barlinnie as the party homes in on law and order issues. Mr Salmond also said he was more concerned with "having a conversation with the people of Scotland" than winning debates on the election trail.
Tuesday also marks the 10th anniversary of Mr Blair's election success at Westminster. Mr Blair said that the Holyrood election was also about something far more fundamental, the SNP's "desire and reason for being", which was, he said, separation.
Despite the occasion, opinion polls put his party behind the SNP. "From day one of an SNP government committed to the referendum - or separation - from day one that will be their aim," he said.
Change takes place amid rising expectations and I think we need to catch that mood, and have caught that mood during this campaign, of the rising expectations of the Scottish people SNP leader Alex Salmond
"That will be what they are working for. From day one the chaos and instability will start."
Mr Blair questioned whether the Welsh, Irish and English would sit and watch this "pantomime" being played out over the UK's constitution while Scotland's political energies were geared towards the referendum issue.
He said: "It's not serious politics - but it will have a serious impact on families and their living standards in Scotland.
"The truth is that the politics of nationalism is just bad politics, it divides people, it pits people against each other."
Alex Salmond expressed a preference for coalition government
Meanwhile, Mr Salmond claimed there was now a clear contrast between the "high hopes and expectations" of the public when Labour swept to power in 1997 and a feeling of disillusionment across the country.
"Now this I anticipate is Mr Blair's last visit to Scotland as prime minister and I think this would be the appropriate occasion for him now to apologise to the people for the disaster that is Iraq," he said.
Mr Salmond went on to re-emphasise the SNP's commitment to retaining a referendum on independence during any post-election coalition talks.
The Banff and Buchan MP said that, despite opposition to independence among potential partners, his preference was for coalition rather than minority government, something he believed was still possible.
He said later: "Change takes place amid rising expectations and I think we need to catch that mood, and have caught that mood during this campaign, of the rising expectations of the Scottish people."