TV stage for SNP rivals

John Swinney (left) and Alex Neil go head to head

The two candidates so far for the Scottish National Party leadership will appear on the same platform for the first time on BBC Newsnight Scotland on Thursday.

The deadline for nominations closes on Friday morning, with the contest expected to remain a two-horse race.

Alex Neil and John Swinney will state their cases for succeeding Alex Salmond, who is stepping down after 10 years in the job.

Meanwhile, a focus group of voters who the SNP needs to win over if it is to triumph in a general election, has generally failed to recognise either Mr Neil or Mr Swinney.

The votes will be counted on 23 September

The group, assembled by Opinion Leader Research for Newsnight Scotland, all wanted to see an independent Scotland. But independence itself was not enough to make them shift their vote to the nationalists.

Apart from the SNP's commitment to independence, the voters were largely ignorant of the party's policies on a range of issues.

Mr Neil, who is a list MSP for Central Scotland, is seen as representing the fundamentalist wing of the party which favours fast progress towards independence.

Mr Swinney, the party's deputy leader and MSP/MP for North Tayside, is regarded as being more of a gradualist.

Policy differences

Asked recently about the differences between himself and Mr Swinney, Mr Neil said: "There are differences of strategy and tactics clearly, but there are no major policy differences."

Ahead of their television appearance, BBC News Online Scotland asked both men to explain why they were taking the platform together.

We need to demonstrate the difference between devolution and independence

Alex Neil

Mr Neil said: "I am delighted to appear on Newsnight to put my case and explain what I will do if elected as the SNP's new national convener.

"The key issue in this campaign is how we get from devolution to Independence, as soon as possible.

"I believe that the key elements in the SNP's independence strategy must be:

• To put independence at the top of our political agenda. If we are to persuade the Scottish people to put independence at the top of their agenda we must always put it at the top of ours

• Secondly we need to demonstrate the difference between devolution and independence, in particular how the full potential of the Scottish people can only be realised by gaining independence

• Thirdly the SNP must present its vision of what an independent Scotland would be like, particularly in relation to the key bread and butter issues like jobs, health, education, housing and our ability to eliminate poverty

Strategy is much more than mere sloganising - it is the means by which we get things done

John Swinney

Mr Swinney said: "I am looking forward to the Newsnight Scotland programme and being able to put my message to the members of the Scottish National Party and indeed to the whole country.

"I want us always to make the case for independence and to win that independence as quickly as possible. My vision for an independent Scotland is one that frees not just our country but all the people in it.

"It is a vision of social justice, enterprise and confidence. I have been involved for 20 years in building that vision which is in the Scottish and European mainstream - a vision that is social democratic, left of centre and open in outlook.

"But to have the vision is not enough. We must be able to say how we get there.

"The SNP is a democratic party that contests elections and we will therefore win independence by winning elections.

"Thus we must concentrate all our effort on the substantial progress we can make at the next Westminster elections, and on contesting and winning the 2003 Scottish Parliament election, thus clearing the way for a referendum thereafter.

"That is the strategy that the party has adopted and it is one that I am determined to lead.

"Strategy is much more than mere sloganising - it is the means by which we get things done."

The programme will be presented by Sally Magnusson.