Scottish Conservatives will hold Salmond and the SNP to account

Speaking after Alex Salmond was nominated by the Scottish Parliament as First Minister, Annabel Goldie MSP, Scottish Conservative Leader, said:

"Presiding Officer, the First Minister has achieved a remarkable election result and I congratulate him on his election as First Minister for a second term of government.

"The First Minister has of course been basking in his party's triumph with that mixture of chutzpah and undisguised glee which he has made his own unique style.

"But can I just haul him back to planet earth with a little dose of realism.

"He may have a majority of seats in this Parliament, he does not have a majority of votes from Scotland.

"He may want separation, most people in Scotland do not.

"The only mandate he has from the election is to be a devolved government in the Scottish Parliament.

So I don't want to rain on his SNP parade but voters expect his priorities to be jobs, education, our health service, law and order, local government and all the other essential services for which this Parliament is responsible.

"And when he tucks himself up in bed in his Alex Salmond for First Minister nightshirt, interspersing his dreams of a Scottish Republic should be the sobering thought that the buck now stops with him.

He has the majority in this Parliament, he can't blame others.

"He knows how much money there is, the CSR has made clear the financial settlement.

"So when services are cut he has to explain why.

"When universities contract and departments close he has to explain why.

"When local authorities shrink essential facilities, he has to explain why.

"And when he breaks election promises, he has to take the blame.

"And of course he wouldn't be the astute and crafty political operator which he is, if he didn't try to suck others into his blame game. Well the First Minister and the SNP now stand alone, and they alone will take the blame.

"Our role as Scottish Conservatives in this Parliament is to support what is good for Scotland and vigorously oppose what is not.

"Just because Alex Salmond declares something to be good doesn't mean it is. And when he's wrong, I and the Scottish Conservatives will put him right.

"And when he tries to pursue his separation agenda for Scotland, I and the Scottish Conservatives will fight him every step of the way. He will not win.

"So the First Minister has a majority of seats in this Parliament but not a monopoly of wisdom. He has a big SNP presence but he has even bigger challenges. So his imperative is to put the interests of Scotland before the interests of his party. I remind him his mandate is to be our devolved First Minister. To act in the national interest, not his nationalist self interest.

"And I and the Scottish Conservatives will hold him to that obligation."

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