Saltire not a party flag, Tory leader insists By Tom Gordon Scottish Political Editor
ALEX Salmond was told last night to take his hands off the Saltire and stop treating it as the SNP's "exclusive property".
Annabel Goldie, the Scottish Tory leader, accused the first minister of attempting to monopolise the national flag for his party and over-using it during the Glasgow East and Glenrothes by-elections.
Speaking on the eve of St Andrew's day, she said the pride of millions of Scots in their identity and country was not the exclusive property of the Nationalists.
Nor was SNP membership necessary to be a true Scottish patriot, she insisted.
Instead of being a flag of separatism, the Saltire, which is incorporated into the Union flag, was a reminder of the Union, Goldie said.
"I have been growing increasingly angry at the party politicisation of Scotland's national flag," she told a Conservative Future Scotland conference in St Andrews. "As a proud and patriotic Scot I wish to make today the day when we reclaim the Saltire from the SNP and give it back to Scotland, all of Scotland.
"I was struck how, during the recent by-elections, the SNP wandered around shopping centres, stood at street corners handing out the Saltire as if they owned the flag, as if it was their exclusive property, as if they had a monopoly on the Saltire and it was their symbol.
"Well let me say this loud and clear: The Saltire is our national flag of Scotland - not the SNP nationalist flag. It is a symbol of patriotism, not partition. It is the property of us all, not the campaigning prop of one party."
Ignoring Goldie's remarks, First Minister Alex Salmond focused on the day's ability to unite Scots.
"St Andrew's Day is a time of national celebration, when all Scots at home and abroad can join together in marking our country's diversity and its distinctive place in the world.
"This year's celebrations mark the start of the countdown to Scotland's Year of Homecoming in 2009, when we invite those with ties to Scotland around the world to come back and visit us."
Tavish Scott, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, said it was a time to reflect on the next stages of devolution and discuss more powers rather than flags.
"St Andrew's day gives us the opportunity to reflect where Scotland is now and where we want to be in the future," he said. "On this day, we know that the Calman commission's interim report is imminent. We want a much more radical and ambitious home rule settlement for Scotland, with strong tax powers."
Salmond also had some things to say about the commission, none of them complimentary. He accused the commission on devolution of producing a "damp squib" for its first official report and failing to address Scotland's dire economic problems.
The Sunday Herald has learned that the commission's interim report is not expected to contain any significant recommendations when it is published on Tuesday.
Instead, the cross-party body will present a summary of its work to date and call for more evidence on areas of particular interest.
