 Alex Salmond called for more help from Westminster |
Alex Salmond has opened the SNP conference with demands for Westminster to do more to help Scots struggling through the economic crisis. The first minister called for �1bn of "Scotland's money" to be released by the treasury. He told delegates in Perth that the country's fossil fuel levy and its underspend could be used to boost jobs and investment in Scotland. Mr Salmond also called for a further deep cut in interest rates. He said: "Over the past few weeks, because it was a national emergency, the SNP and Scottish Government supported the measures to stabilise the financial sector and stabilising the financial sector is of huge importance to everyone of us. "But it's not the only thing that needs to be stabilised right now. "People want their fuel bills stabilised right now, they want the wider economy stabilised right now, they want unemployment stabilised right now, they want stability as they see reflected in jobs and investment in Scotland. "That is the message from the high streets of Scotland to Downing Street in London." He blamed Gordon Brown and his "age of irresponsibility" for having taken the country "to the brink of recession". Mr Salmond said the Scottish Government had been doing its part "early and decisively" to tackle the economic problems facing Scotland. He highlighted their six-point plan to help householders and businesses through the current economic downturn. Mr Salmond said: "As the people of Scotland look at this conference, what they'll see is a party leading a nation in tough times as well as good times, willing to fight for every job, for every pound of investment, willing and able to fight for Scotland as Scotland's party."
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