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 | | Friday, 30 November, 2001, 15:58 GMT Swinney mounts St Andrew's Day attack  Politicians made St Andrew's Day addresses Scottish National Party leader John Swinney used a St Andrew's Day address to brand Jack McConnell "the patron saint of cronyism". Mr Swinney made the attack on the first minister in a speech in Glasgow which also pledged to put tackling child poverty at the top of his political agenda. Much of the speech, at Strathclyde University union was devoted to a fierce attack on what Mr Swinney claimed was a Labour culture of cronyism and jobs-for-the-boys. The new first minister rejected that claim when he issued an appeal to Scots abroad to help boost the country's international image.
Mr Swinney said the first minister had picked his Cabinet by rewarding friends and punishing enemies. He said: "This was not about putting together a government for Scotland. "It was about settling scores in the Labour Party. Sacked for not being friends of Jack - that was the fate of five cabinet ministers." Mr Swinney went on: "He said he would put an end to factionalism, but then showed he was the high priest of factionalism. "Children, children, children" The SNP leader also called for Holyrood to be given powers to raise money to pay for health and education, and went on put children at the heart of the SNP's agenda. He said his priority up to the 2003 Scottish Parliament elections would be "children, children, children." "If policies to improve the life-chances of Scotland's children are to be the test of who should form the next government in Edinburgh, it is a contest I look forward to with relish," said Mr Swinney. Mr McConnell rejected these criticisms during when he spent the day at the British-Irish Council in Dublin.
He said: "People with Scottish ties - the diaspora - are marking this special day in many special ways. Today, countless parts of the world are becoming little corners of Scotland. "One of the great attributes of Scots is that we are not, for the most part, an introspective people. Yes, we have a strong tradition of community and of taking care of our own, but we also look outwards. "That is why there are Scots, and the descendants of Scots, in every part of the world, from the Americas to Asia and everywhere in-between." Mr McConnell said that "Scots hold a disproportionate number of places in the pantheons of the arts, sciences, medicine, sport and commerce". He announced his intention to "harness that pride, that energy, to build a better Scotland" that "punches above its weight and fulfils the potential". | | See also:  Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top Scotland stories now:  Links to more Scotland stories are at the foot of the page. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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