Alex Salmond: vote for Scottish independence is act of self-belief

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/oct/19/salmond-scottish-independence-self-belief

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Alex Salmond will argue on Saturday that supporting independence in next year's referendum is a natural, commonsense act of "national self-belief" rather than a dangerous leap into the unknown.

The first minister, in his main address to the last full Scottish National party conference before next year's vote, will try to strike a reassuring tone, saying Scotland's voters have already had "a taste of independence" thanks to 14 years of devolution without fully realising it.

He will say that independence would be a natural evolution of those powers, adding control over welfare, pensions, taxation and defence to the Scottish parliament's already significant responsibilities for schools, hospitals, transport and policing.

In a deliberate attempt to play down middle-class voters' anxieties about the economic and political risks of leaving the UK, Salmond will insist that his government and the Scottish parliament have already proved their credentials.

"This central question of who should be taking decisions is not an academic argument," Salmond will say. "It is a commonsense argument based on our experience." A yes vote would be "above all, an act of national self-confidence and self-belief".

But Salmond's speech comes as opinion polls have consistently shown that support for independence has remained fixed at about a third or less of Scottish voters, with 11 months to go before next September's referendum.

SNP strategists have confirmed they plan to vigorously target working-class urban voters in central Scotland to build up support for independence; that group, previously solid Labour voters, are identified as the most likely to support independence but also the least likely to vote in elections.

The leader and his senior ministers used their annual conference in Perth to portray the independence referendum as an ideological battle between the Tory-inspired cuts in public spending and their vision for a centre-left Scotland which protects welfare and free universal services.

That strategy appeared to be bolstered after the influential Scottish Centre for Social Research published new research by Ipsos Mori showing that satisfaction with the Scottish government's performance had grown by 10 points since May to +23. The UK government's rating fell in September to -28.

John Swinney, the Scottish finance secretary, underscored that by revealing to delegates on Friday morning recent data showing Scotland's economy grew faster than the UK average and Scotland now had the UK's highest employment rates.

But it fell to Nicola Sturgeon, the deputy first minister, to ratchet up the attacks on the UK government by accusing it of pushing through "shameful" and "despicable" cuts in the welfare system as she made new spending pledges aimed at poorer, urban voters.

Sturgeon said the bedroom tax would be reversed after independence. She announced a fresh £20m fund next year to pay for bedroom-tax benefit cuts in Scotland and unveiled a Scottish government funded initiative to press private sector employers to pay the living wage.

She allied those commitments to a promise that after independence the Scottish government would cut all household energy bills by £70 a year, by directly funding energy saving schemes worth £200m a year which are now funded by gas and electricity consumers.

In a combative address which had a rapturous reception from delegates, Sturgeon said the pro-UK parties consistently claimed that keeping Scotland in the UK allowed everyone to pool financial risks, but that was constantly undermined by attacks on disabled people, youth unemployment and single parents.

"This isn't pooling risks," Sturgeon said. "It's pulling the rug from the poorest and most vulnerable. Those who can least afford to take the hit are taking all of the risks. That's not sharing – that's shameful."

In a bid to intensify fears among poorer voters, she claimed that a no vote next year would see far deeper cuts by Westminster, threatening universal benefits and Scotland's budget.

"Scotland can't afford a no vote," she said. "If we are to protect and build upon the progress of devolution, we must vote yes."

However, a commission of welfare experts set up by Sturgeon has already told her that the UK's welfare state is so heavily integrated it would probably take until 2020 – four years after the target date for independence – before Scotland could set up a new welfare system.

Opponents also point out that an independent Scotland would face many additional costs: its new public services would cost more to run per head; the European Union would be likely to stop it claiming its share of the UK's rebate; its defence costs would be likely to be higher, and North Sea oil receipts would continue to decline.

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