Alex Salmond insisted a ”change is coming” as he put the drive for independence at the forefront of the SNP party conference.
The First Minister also used Thursday’s speech to launch an attack on the UK Government’s ”shameful” decision to axe the £1 billion carbon capture and storage (CCS) programme at Longannet in Fife.
He told delegates at the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness energy resources ”bestowed upon us by the creator of the universe” should be used by the people of Scotland, and he claimed oil, gas, wind and wave power would help to carry Scotland forward to independence.
With the SNP gathering in Inverness for their first party conference since the election victory last May, the First Minister gave his thanks to Scottish voters for the result.
Referring to the Longannet decision, which is expected to cost the Fife economy £272 million a year, he said: ”The problem was the funny money deal offered from the UK Treasury. The £1 billion investment wasn’t actually there there was a withdrawal of £200 million, not mentioned by the Prime Minister. It was all down to funds.
”Isn’t it extraordinary that we have a Treasury in London anxious to take £13 billion of oil and gas revenues this year alone out of Scotland’s natural resources but they won’t put one tenth of that into saving the future of Scottish coal?
”The Westminster Government yet again turning its back on Scotland and the Scottish people.”
He contrasted the Longannet decision with the announcement of the sale of the Nigg fabrication site to Global Energy Group (GEG), with the creation of 2000 on-site jobs by 2015.
He insisted it is ”essential” to secure control of Scotland’s energy resources.
”It is simply unacceptable to have fuel poverty amid all that energy plenty simply unacceptable. That’s the difference between ourselves and our political opponents. We want to mobilise the resources of this country of course we do but we want to see those resources mobilised for the people of Scotland.
”The natural resource bestowed upon us by the creator of the universe should be at the disposal of this nation and that ‘people priority’ is what separates us from our unionist opponents.
”A change is coming, and the people are eager for progress for Scotland something that none of the unionist parties acknowledge or allow for.
”And Scotland’s vast energy reserves can power our future as an independent nation. Oil revenues are running at record levels with North Sea oil set to be around for ‘many, many years’ to come according to David Cameron we are leading the global revolution in clean, green renewable energy, and we can and should be at the cutting-edge of pioneering carbon capture technology.
”All of that massive potential means Scotland must gain responsibility for our own resources with independence. And with the support of growing numbers of Scots of all ages and all backgrounds, this can be the independence generation.”
UK Energy Secretary Chris Huhne announced plans to pioneer carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology at Longannet had been scrapped after the government failed to reach an agreement with ScottishPower’s parent company, Iberdrola.
ScottishPower was the only remaining bidder in a UK Government competition launched in 2007 for £1 billion to develop CCS.