By Steve Bargeton, political editor

FIRST MINISTER Alex Salmond yesterday poked fun at Labour’s contortions over a referendum when he addressed MSPs on the SNP’s first year in power.

Referring to Labour leader Wendy Alexander’s succession of policy somersaults he said, “You’re more like Ronnie Corbett than Olga Korbut and far from excelling on the parallel bars it’s a parallel universe that Labour group is in!”

On a more serious note Mr Salmond made a series of announcements including confirmation of plans for a referendum on Scottish independence in 2010 “just as we always planned.”

He also announced a new Scottish University for Sporting Excellence to be based at Stirling University; an annual £2 million Saltire Innovation Fund to stimulate innovation in businesses, universities and colleges; plans to hold the Government to account under a new ‘Scotland Performs’ initiative and a drive to further open up Freedom of Information.

Ms Alexander slammed the announcements as “not just lightweight, but flyweight” and sought commitments on key manifesto pledges.

“On the evidence of today, the style over substance looks set to continue,” she said.

“What is genuinely new, beyond how the Saltire Fund will be spent and an information pilot?

“Overall this statement is more interesting for what is not there, than for what is.”

Ms Alexander demanded to know when the SNP would honour their manifesto commitment to wipe out student debt, cut class sizes to 18, provide a nursery teacher for every child, offer free access to council swimming pools, match Labour’s school-building programme and replace PFI with a new Scottish Futures Trust.

Scottish Tory leader Annabel Goldie opened on the U-turn theme telling MSPs that she had hoped for some from the SNP.

“Why no U-turn on the extension of Home Detention Curfews—why does the SNP’s policy remain one of emptying our jails rather than keeping prisoners in them?” she asked.

“Why no U-turn on the SNP’s unremitting hostility to the valuable role of the private sector in delivering our public services?

“Why no U-turn on the SNP’s refusal to mutualise Scottish Water which would free-up £200 million of taxpayers money every year?”

Mr Salmond said plans for future Government legislation would be announced in September.

Looking back over the last 12 months in office he said, “In our first year the Scottish Government has invigorated Scottish democracy and strengthened our public services.

“At times we have faced unforeseen challenges—the Grangemouth industrial action last month, the Glasgow airport attack, and the serious implications for rural Scotland of the foot-and-mouth outbreak south of the Border.

“At these times the Government and the public stayed focused and worked together, and worked with the UK Government—proving that Scotland can rise to any challenge.”