By Steve Bargeton, political editor

FIRST MINISTER Alex Salmond said yesterday he was sure the opposition parties would not “stoop so low” as to force a defeat on his minority government when one of his MSPs goes off on maternity leave.

Angela Constance, the new SNP MSP for Livingston, is expecting her first child in the autumn.

Her absence on maternity leave will leave the SNP and Labour each with 46 seats.

Even with the support of the Greens the nationalists would not be able to reach a majority of 65 with either the Tories or the Lib Dems.

But, confirming yesterday he will announce his government’s early priorities in a statement to MSPs next week, Mr Salmond said he was sure the opposition parties would not take advantage.

“I am quite certain that whatever differences we have with the other political parties, none of them would want to take advantage of Angela’s maternity leave in order to cause difficulties for our administration,” he said.

“I don’t really think politicians think like that. I don’t think our political opponents will stoop that low.

“If there are difficulties we will work our way through them.

“As a government which has to command a majority by persuasion and argument, we will just have to persuade and argue all the more forcibly,” he added.

In a swipe at the previous administration that on several occasions leaked its policy plans before telling MSPs in parliament, Mr Salmond said, “One of the arts of being a minority government is that I will extend due process to parliament.

“And when I make announcements on the policies we are going to move forward on, I will make them to parliament.

“In that way, I’m hoping to engender more support across the chamber, because I realise, obviously as a minority government, on each and every policy issue we will have to garner support in order to build a majority.”

However, he made no secret of the fact he will publish a white paper “looking at the concept of independence in an interdependent world.”

He also expected to build a majority around plans to scrap the council tax and bring in local income tax.

“It has to be said, of course, even with the Liberals and I hope the support, on some aspects of that, from the Green Party, it will be a narrow parliamentary majority,” he said.

“I’m not pretending it’s going to be easy but it is our intention to abolish the council tax because it is unfair and oppressive.”

The SNP leader rejected criticism he had “downgraded” the vital transport portfolio by not having a dedicated transport minister in his cabinet, saying this was within the “extremely powerful” brief of finance and sustainable growth secretary John Swinney.