McConnell: Devolution is making a difference

Saturday, 25 December 2004 7:00 AM

The Scottish First Minister has used his Christmas message to Scotland to argue that devolution is beginning to deliver tangible benefits.

Jack McConnell said that: "This has been a great year for Scotland. Devolution is increasingly making a real difference to people's lives and our small country is once again being noticed across the world.

"But what strikes me most when I travel around Scotland is the increasing enthusiasm, ambition and confidence of our young people." He cited as examples the Commonwealth Youth Games team and the beginning of the new national youth volunteering programme Project Scotland.

He added: "As we gather together with our family and friends this weekend, we should remember those people who put their neighbours and their community first. It is that spirit of community that marks Scotland out as one of the best countries in the world and fills me with great hope for the future.

"Scotland has a proud tradition of philanthropy and an enduring respect for community. This Christmas we should also consider how best our small country can play a big part in building a better world, and I am determined that we will use Scottish values, skills and commitment to help those less fortunate than ourselves elsewhere in the world."

But the leader of the Scottish National Party, Alex Salmond said that the "ghosts of policies past, present and future will haunt Labour at the ballot box in Scotland next year."

Mr Salmond said: "This Christmas it is older Scots who will pay the price of Labour's past pensions failure. Faced with the indignity of the Chancellor's means test for a decent pension almost a third of our pensioners will not get their fair share. The SNP's plans for a Citizen's Pension would end the injustice of the Labour means test and put extra cash into the pockets of pensioners across Scotland.

"It is Scotland's historic regiments who are bearing the brunt of policies present. Sent to fight Blair's illegal and unpopular war and then amalgamated out of existence as a direct result of Scrooge Brown's cuts. Few Scots will understand the sense or logic of these short-sighted and penny pinching cuts."

Tags: