We're not all the same!

Unfortunately I missed the SNP's manifesto launch yesterday because I was at work :o(
However, I have heard wonderful reviews of the event.

It's becoming abundantly clear that the SNP has the most momentum in this election campaign, and there is a real sense of anticipation and excitement about the prospect of an SNP government - and not just from SNP members and political journalists salivating at the prospect of change because it gives them something to write about!

This sense of enthusiasm is shared by people across Scotland. I have been struck by the number of people who have approached me, while out campaigning, to say that they will be supporting the SNP. There is an increasing sense of warmth towards us, and confidence in our ability to make the right decisions for Scotland.

Unfortunately, there are still a significant number of sceptical voters, but who can blame them? After a decade of Labour rule (with a splash of Lib Dem in Scotland), the preceding Tory years and the Westminster rule we have experienced all of our lives, politics must seem rather hopeless at times. I often meet people on the doorsteps voicing their concern that all political parties and politicians are the same. This is a charge I always find difficult to respond to, because I always feel that nothing I say to the contrary will convince them. I've been told "well, you would say that, wouldn't you!" too many times over the years.

But even among this group, there are a large number who are prepared to give the SNP their cautious support and vote for us at this election, hoping that we will prove their theory that we are all the same entirely wrong!

I am confident that we will.

If the SNP becomes the largest party in May, we will not betray the trust that the people of Scotland have placed with us. The overarching guide for any SNP government will always be to make the decisions that are right for the people of Scotland - not some out-dated political union or vested interests.

Governing is difficult, and many difficult decisions have to be taken by political leaders. But let me leave you with one thought. An SNP government won't find the choice between spending billions on replacing the Trident nuclear missile system or giving our older citizens a decent pension 'difficult'. Choosing between weapons of mass destruction, designed to kill millions, or a decent standard of living for our pensioners is easy.