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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| 'Prepare for power' says Salmond | 'Prepare for power' says Salmond |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| The Scottish National Party has opened its annual conference with a claim that it is on the verge of taking power. | |
| The party believes the conference, which started on Wednesday, will put the finishing touches to its programme for the Holyrood elections next May. | |
| Leader Alex Salmond said: "The SNP goes into this conference in a buoyant and confident mood after a period of sustained success." | Leader Alex Salmond said: "The SNP goes into this conference in a buoyant and confident mood after a period of sustained success." |
| A green energy plan was unveiled on the first day of the conference in Perth. | |
| Mr Salmond also condemned the British Olympic Association for planning to enter a UK football team at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. | |
| We are preparing for government and we are preparing to win Alex SalmondSNP leader | We are preparing for government and we are preparing to win Alex SalmondSNP leader |
| He said: "At a time when the Scotland football team is doing so well, we should be supporting our team not trying to undermine it." | |
| Officials are also to explain how they can enhance education, with a stress on specialism and discipline. | |
| Mr Salmond said the annual gathering would act as a springboard for the 2007 election. | Mr Salmond said the annual gathering would act as a springboard for the 2007 election. |
| He insisted the race for power would be between the SNP and Labour, with Mr Salmond the clear favourite over current First Minister Jack McConnell. | He insisted the race for power would be between the SNP and Labour, with Mr Salmond the clear favourite over current First Minister Jack McConnell. |
| He said: "We are preparing for government and we are preparing to win." | He said: "We are preparing for government and we are preparing to win." |
| Speaking to BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme said, the SNP leader added that his party were now "hammering" Labour in the polls. | Speaking to BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme said, the SNP leader added that his party were now "hammering" Labour in the polls. |
| He said: "The only time I can remember that we've challenged the Labour party for supremacy in Scottish politics in such a sustained way was back in 1998 in the run up to the first Scottish parliamentary elections. | He said: "The only time I can remember that we've challenged the Labour party for supremacy in Scottish politics in such a sustained way was back in 1998 in the run up to the first Scottish parliamentary elections. |
| "There's one big difference between now and then and that basically is that at that time people hadn't tried devolution, they hadn't tried the devolved parliament. | "There's one big difference between now and then and that basically is that at that time people hadn't tried devolution, they hadn't tried the devolved parliament. |
| "We've now had seven years of devolution and I think there's a pretty overwhelming feeling in Scotland that now we've got a parliament, we may as well make it a real parliament with real powers, so it can do real things for Scotland." | "We've now had seven years of devolution and I think there's a pretty overwhelming feeling in Scotland that now we've got a parliament, we may as well make it a real parliament with real powers, so it can do real things for Scotland." |