Vote opposition 'like Thatcher'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/8397100.stm

Version 0 of 1.

First Minister Alex Salmond has compared opposition to an independence referendum with the "arrogance" that Margaret Thatcher showed to Scotland.

Mr Salmond said the SNP government's commitment to a vote on the Scottish constitutional was the reason it remained ahead in the opinion polls.

The Scottish government launched its white paper on a referendum on Monday.

But the referendum is currently opposed by the three main opposition parties in Scotland.

Addressing the SNP national council in Perth, Mr Salmond said: "There is a strong public majority for a referendum, and our job is to translate that public support into a parliamentary majority.

"At present, each of the three London-based parties - Labour, Tory and Liberal - say no, no, no to Scotland, in the same arrogant manner as Margaret Thatcher did.

"That is one reason why the Tories and Liberals are at record lows in the polls, and why Labour are also behind. They are running away from the verdict of the people."

'Recovery plan'

Mr Salmond's government suffered a turbulent week with the replacement of Fiona Hyslop as education secretary.

She was demoted to culture minister amid continuing pressure over the government's ability to deliver a promise to cut class sizes to 18 or less in primaries one to three.

But Mr Salmond insisted he led a government of "action and ambition".

He added: "We have already delivered two-thirds of our headline manifesto commitments to help families and business - including freezing the council tax, phasing out prescription charges, and restoring free education, as well as putting in place a comprehensive economic recovery plan which is supporting 15,000 jobs."

Many of the policies of Mrs Thatcher, who was UK prime minister between 1979 and 1990, were deeply unpopular in Scotland.