Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray wants first minister job

Scottish Labour fires starting gun on 2011 campaign

Scottish Labour fires starting gun on 2011 campaign

By Alex Stevenson

The 2011 campaign north of the border got off to an early start today as Scottish Labour released a dossier of 100 “broken promises” from the Scottish National party (SNP).

Leader Iain Gray began 100 days of campaigning in Ayrshire by sending a strong signal that the main opposition in Holyrood would make trust a major election in the election.

Scottish Labour’s Twitter account is being used to tweet a broken promise every five minutes, starting at 09:00 GMT.

“In just 100 days, Scotland will choose its course for the next 1,000 days. I am standing to be first minister and win this election because Scotland deserves better,” Mr Gray said.

“After four years, many people feel the SNP hasn’t done enough for us and my message is that Scotland deserves better than broken promises from politicians.”

Mr Gray pledged to fight for every vote and promised to publish his party’s own “detailed plans for Scotland” soon.

Meanwhile the SNP was in self-congratulatory mood, with first minister Alex Salmond issuing a ‘thank you’ to voters for backing the party in 2007.

The party highlighted achievements included freezing council tax, investing in hospitals, putting 1,000 extra police officers on the streets and creating 20,000 new apprenticeship places.

“With your support we can secure new job-creating powers for the Scottish parliament,” Mr Salmond wrote in a letter and email to supporters.

“Powers that will enable us to create even more new jobs in the years ahead. Scotland’s election takes place in 100 days. With your support we can build on the work of the past four years. Together, we can make Scotland better.”