At the weekend I announced my new Scottish Cabinet of Spokespeople with some new facesincluding Dr Anne Lorne Gillies and George Reid.

George Reid's return to Scotland full time to contest the seat of Ochil has obviouslydelighted the party who voted him into top place on both the Party's National Executive andNational Council. George has spent the last ten years working for the Red Cross in Genevaand was formerly the SNP MP for Clackmannan, he now becomes the spokesperson for Industry,Technology & Employment. The party were equally delighted to see Anne Lorne Gillies raiseher profile in the party and contest the Western Isles seat and she now becomes spokespersonfor Transport and Telecommunications.

From now to the General Election, the SNP's Scottish Cabinet will lay to rest the fears andsmears of our Unionist opponents once and for all. On a point by point, case by case basis,we will expose their bogus arguments. A strong and positive SNP has Unionism in Scotland atbay - as shown by the fears and smears that are being peddled by our political opponents.

When the Prime Minister spoke in Glasgow last month, he called for the standard of politicaldebate to be raised. But when the panicked Scottish Secretary - Michael Forsyth - addressedthe Tory conference fringe last week, he was reduced to heaping abuse and invective on theSNP, including thirty-four insulting words and phrases in a four-and-a-half page text.

The SNP have the best case and the winning arguments in Scottish politics. Only the SNP areable and willing to raise the standard of debate in Scotland, because only we seek to raisethe ambitions of the Scottish people with our strong and positive case for Independence.

Members of my Scottish Cabinet are selected from members of the Party's National Executiveand National Council, who are elected by delegates at SNP Annual National Conference. TheCabinet differs from previous Cabinet's as the appointments have been made in accordancewith our new structure of Government as outlined in our document 'Programme for Government'.Each principal spokesperson will be supported in their roles by one or two assistants. Thefull list is as follows:

Convener Treasurer Chief Secretary to the Treasury Industry, Technology & Employment Education Health & Social Policy Housing and Local Government Europe & External Affairs Energy Defence Justice & Equality Transport & Telecommunications Rural Affairs Environment Marine Resources Arts, Broadcasting & Culture Chief Whip Secretary to the Cabinet Without Portfolio (ex officio) European Parliamentary Leader Parliamentary Leader of SNP Vice Convener Policy

Alex Salmond MP John Swinney Fergus Ewing George Reid Cllr Janet Law Kay Ullrich Maureen Watt Dr Allan Macartney MEP Nicola Sturgeon Cllr Colin Campbell Roseanna Cunningham MP Dr Anne Lorne Gillies Rob Gibson Fiona Hyslop David McCarthy Paul Scott Andrew Welsh MP Alasdair Morgan Winnie Ewing MEP Margaret Ewing MP Alex Neil

Alex Salmond MPScottish National Party LeaderAlex Salmond MP
Leader
Scottish National Party

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Alex Salmond is the Member ofParliament for Banff & Buchan and is leader of the SNP. An economist aged 42 , he is widely regarded as one of the most effective Scottish politicans of his generation.

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If you would like to know more about the SNP and HELP SCOTLAND contact snp.hq@snp.org.uk or visit the official the Scottish National Party web site.

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