"Our country, our Scotland, our independence". This is our moment Alex Salmond tells Scottish People.

In a rousing speech to the Scottish National Party conference in Aberdeen, Alex Salmond Scotland’s First Minister tells Scots that "in an independent Scotland we will build a system that will be the envy of the world." With the opinion polls showing that Scotland’s voters our moving towards voting Yes to independence Alex Salmond said "make no mistake - momentum is with this campaign.  The people are coming towards us.”

He went on to deride the negative campaigning of the Better Together anti-independence campaign. An example of which was the recent comments of Lord George Robertson's in which the Labour peer claimed a Yes vote in September would be "cataclysmic" and would destabilise the west, Mr Salmond said: "Lord Robertson told a startled Washington that the 'forces of darkness' are getting ready to celebrate a Yes vote.” Mocking Robertson’s ridiculous comments, Mr Salmond added: "The forces of darkness!” Darth Vader, Ming the Merciless, the Klingons and Lex Luthor must all be watching the campaign closely."

In contrast to the negative anti-independence campaign he said "the Yes campaign is positive, uplifting, hopeful and must always stay that way." Alex Salmond went on to say independence would provide "a government in control of tax, the economy, social security, employment, immigration, oil and gas revenues, European policy and a range of other areas currently under Westminster control.”  He talked of the Scotland’s natural resources; he said Scotland had more top universities, per head, than any other country. A hot bed of life sciences. Brilliance in creative industries. A world-class food and drink industry. Manufacturers exporting across the world. 25 per cent of Europe’s off-shore wind and tidal potential. 60 per cent of the EU’s oil reserves.

Alex Salmond told the audience that "as an independent nation we would be the 14th richest country in the developed world.  The UK is 18th." He went on to encourage Scotland’s voters to grasp this opportunity to build a brighter future for the nation "this is our moment," he said, finishing his speech with the words "our country, our Scotland, our independence".