Sturgeon eyes 'scunnered' voters

Nicola Sturgeon claimed Scots were turning away from Labour

Scots are "scunnered" with Labour but many have yet to be won over by the SNP, the Nationalists' deputy leader told the party's spring conference.

Nicola Sturgeon told delegates they had 390 days to persuade voters the SNP was ready for government.

Ms Sturgeon claimed her party was progressing while Holyrood's largest party, Labour, was declining.

But she warned activists that an SNP win at the Holyrood election next May would not fall into the party's lap.

In a 25-minute speech in Dundee, Ms Sturgeon said the SNP would replace council tax, write off student debt and oppose new nuclear power stations.

People are scunnered with Labour Nicola Sturgeon

She told the party faithful on Saturday: "It will have to be worked for, campaigned for, earned in every constituency the length and breadth of Scotland.

"For the next 390 days the things I have been talking about today need to be talked about by all of us.

"Out in the streets, in every city, town and village, in work places, in colleges and universities - everywhere."

Ms Sturgeon criticised First Minister Jack McConnell for his "silence" following the discovery of the potentially deadly strain of bird flu in Fife earlier this week.

Sense of 'disgust'

She also pledged that the SNP, if elected to power in next May's Scottish Parliament election, would order a full independent public inquiry, led by a judge, into the Shirley McKie fingerprint controversy.

"All over Scotland people are turning away from Labour, sickened by broken promises, failed by missed targets and alienated by endless dishonest spin," she said.

"People are scunnered with Labour."

She went on: "There is a palpable sense of disgust across the country at the actions of an arrogant political elite - a party that came to office promising so much, but which is now a stranger to truth and an abuser of democratic accountability."