Alex Salmond quotes - page 5

In Scotland you were allowed to starve but had to learn to read and write. Whereas in England the poor house provided an alternative to starvation, but education was only for the privileged few. This country has been a learning nation - first, last and always. (Alex Salmond)
It can be argued that the lack of accountability about Iraq led Cameron on to committing many of the same blunders on a smaller scale in Libya in 2010. In Libya the UK spent thirteen times as much bombing the country as reconstructing it and the human chaos and bloody carnage of a failed state now moves like the tide across the Mediterranean. View quote
Alex Salmond
When our society is tested - we depend on the strength of the institutions which sustain that society - our churches, trade unions, charities, our universities and colleges, our legal system. And, of course, our political institutions, which should be a source of hope, a source of purpose. View quote
Alex Salmond
A study only last year by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation showed that young people from white families placed less importance on their Scottishness than young people from Indian, Pakistani and Chinese families. These new and newer Scots see much more clearly and appreciate the values and qualities that make this nation great. And it is right that, as we consider the future of Scotland, as a people we also look at ourselves afresh and take pride in who we are. View quote
Alex Salmond
We must tackle the causes of personal debt, and not just the consequences. View quote
Alex Salmond
A visible police presence on the streets is the best means we have of reassuring communities throughout Scotland. We know too that high visibility policing deters criminals. View quote
Alex Salmond
In the European Union of today, the obligation to provide international leadership rests on all nations - large and small. View quote
Alex Salmond
This Parliament exists - and always will - to serve the people and to provide national leadership which reflects their hopes, addresses their fears and raises their aspirations. It is a Parliament which the people demanded. It is also a Parliament of which the people make demands. View quote
Alex Salmond
The prevailing mood in my country is one of optimism and opportunity. Scotland is restless for change and keen to expand its influence and to reach out beyond our shores. View quote
Alex Salmond
We are a country weighing the options for our future. We do so positively, and with the highest ideals. View quote
Alex Salmond
It is easier for us to talk of sacrifice and of change than it is to achieve them. Both can be difficult, sometimes painful. But we have guidance on this new path. We have ourselves, we have each other. (Alex Salmond)
I believe in the restoration of an independent Scotland. Others in this chamber take a different view. I welcome that debate and the national conversation to follow. The challenge for all of us is to have that conversation with dignity, with respect and with substance. View quote
Alex Salmond
Chilcot will not be a verdict, that much is clear. However, it could still supply the damning evidence for the jury to bring a conviction in. In a triumph of hope over experience my political sense tells me to expect fireworks. View quote
Alex Salmond
No-one should have any trouble finding a party. View quote
Alex Salmond
A skilled people, an economy with a competitive edge. These are the ways to transform economic performance. View quote
Alex Salmond
While we might always have enjoyed self-expression, we have perhaps at times lacked a little bit of self-belief. View quote
Alex Salmond
Such are the joys of national leadership! View quote
Alex Salmond
We see barriers to business as barriers to national progress. View quote
Alex Salmond
Scotland has a global identity. We have always been internationalists, looking beyond our shores for ideas, influences and ways that we can enrich others. Scotland has deep ties of kinship and history with the Commonwealth. And the Scots Diaspora has a prominent place in the history of the United States, Canada and many nations. View quote
Alex Salmond
The scars remain and the wounds are still deep. View quote
Alex Salmond
It is not the purpose of Government to legislate - rather it is for Government and Parliament to legislate with a purpose. (Alex Salmond)
It is essential that we stress the importance of St Andrews Day to our children - to ensure that they grow up with a full appreciation of their rich heritage and what it means to be Scottish - confident and secure in their national identity and their place in the world. View quote
Alex Salmond
You are able to have disagreements as long as you're straight talking – you say honestly what can and can't be done. View quote
Alex Salmond
There is a need to renew our economic institutions and the principles which guide them. Parts of the financial sector, we now know, were run on a false prospectus. With the rewards to some individuals completely divorced from basic ideas of fairness, or service. And, as it transpires, sadly those rewards were also divorced from any reasonable notion of lasting value. That could not be sustained. And it was not sustained. View quote
Alex Salmond
It is unfinished business. View quote
Alex Salmond