SALMOND: TOGETHER WE’VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES.

SALMOND: TOGETHER WE’VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES.

Writing to party members on the first day of SNP Spring Conference in Glasgow, Alex Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister and SNP leader, set out a new message to take Scotland through the recession and lead to the SNP into the European and UK elections and a referendum campaign. In his letter, Mr Salmond said: "This is our opportunity to show Scotland’s way forward. "I have no doubt that in Scotland we’ve got what it takes to weather the economic storm and recover strongly. We have an economic recovery plan in place and we are working flat out as a Government to help hard-pressed families, protect businesses and ensure our economy is well-placed to recover first and fastest. "As a party and Government we will be working hard on the key elements for recovery, with additional investment in education and skills, jobs and communities and in innovation and the industries of the future. "And of course, as a party and Government we have total confidence in Scotland’s ability to rise to the challenge. "Setting out the SNP’s new message, launched at conference, Mr Salmond’s letter continued: "Our central message is that together, we’ve got what it takes to beat the downturn and to recover strongly. And we’ve got what it takes, as an independent nation, to grow and to flourish. "This will be our message in the European and UK elections, and into the referendum campaign. "We have a can-do attitude that is as central and inherent to the people of Scotland as it is to the SNP itself. As a minority government, we will work across Scottish society, uniting our nation, so that all efforts are pointing towards economic success. "We are resourceful nation, an ambitious plan, an entrepreneurial nation; we’ve got what it takes and we’re going to get the job done. "We’ve got what it takes to work through the recession and exploit opportunities of upturn. "We’ve got what it takes to run our own affairs, as an independent nation. "This message will ring out from the SNP conference this week. Our recovery plan is in place, we are focused on jobs and a stronger Scotland in the future."