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Gray challenges Salmond to debate 'Wrong time' to hold referendum
(about 2 hours later)
Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray will use his party conference speech to challenge Alex Salmond to a St Andrew's Day debate on Scotland's future Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray has conceded Scots may want an independence referendum - but not at the moment.
But the SNP leader has already rejected the challenge, saying he is holding out for a debate with Gordon Brown. He said it was wrong to decide on Scotland's future during a recession and under a ballot "rigged" by the SNP.
Mr Gray will share a stage with Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy at the conference in Brighton. Mr Gray's comments came at the UK Labour conference, where he launched a two-pronged attack on his opponents, with Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy.
Mr Murphy is expected to focus his fire on the Conservatives, accusing them of being "Thatcher's grandchildren". Mr Murphy told delegates in Brighton that Conservatives in Scotland were "Thatcher's grandchildren".
Mr Gray wants to debate Scotland's constitutional future with the first minister on 30 November - the day he expects the SNP government to launch its white paper on independence. Mr Gray launched an attack on the minority Scottish government and its planned 2010 independence referendum, saying First Minister Alex Salmond had "no mandate, no majority and no shame".
Speaking before the conference, he said: "If Mr Salmond has any faith at all in his plans he will accept a debate with me on his disastrous plans for separation." Tories 'hated'
But a spokesman for Mr Salmond said: "The first minister's itinerary for St Andrews's Day is already full, and in any case his sights are set on a UK general election debate with the prime minister." "The SNP are not a government, they are a campaign," he told the conference, adding: "The day may well come when the people of Scotland want a referendum to settle their constitutional future once and for all, but not now in the midst of a recession and not on a question rigged and fixed by the SNP."
Mr Murphy, meanwhile, attacked the Tories, describing them as a "threat" to Scotland. Taking to the stage, Mr Murphy said the only choice voters in Scotland faced come the next UK election was Labour or the Conservatives.
"The Tories still don't get Scotland - but Scotland gets them," he said. If the Tories won power, he said, they would make immediate and "savage" cuts to public services.
"Scotland is the most powerful small nation on earth and we are stronger, fairer and more self-confident in the past decade." The Scottish secretary went on: "The Scottish Tory candidates are indeed Mrs Thatcher's grandchildren, because they believe in small government. They believe in the politics of sink or swim and they believe in the politics of 'you're on your own'.
Willie Bain, Labour's by-election candidate for the Glasgow North East seat, will also address the party conference. "In Scotland, the Tories are hated by many because because of their past and distrusted by most because of their present. The Conservative Party still doesn't get Scotland - but Scotland gets them."