Alex Salmond's victory speech

Alex Salmond's speech, upon the occasion of winning an SNP majority in the 2011 Scottish general election, 6th May 2011.

KIRKCALDY is my kind of town. It gave us Adam Smith, Jack Vettriano and Gordon Brown. And earlier today, it gave the SNP our 65th and winning seat in the Scottish parliamentary elections. I am, therefore, delighted to confirm that I will be seeking re-election by the Scottish Parliament as the First Minister of Scotland.

Earlier today, in a very gracious phone call, Iain Gray conceded defeat and also assured me that he would see that the Labour Party would work constructively with the SNP. I wish Iain well with the future, since I understand he is standing down as Labour Party leader.

Before I left Aberdeenshire, Tavish Scott also phoned me to also assure me that the Liberal Democrats would seek to work constructively as an opposition in the Scots parliament.

Later this evening, I will be speaking to the Prime Minister and laying down markers as to what this result and this mandate means in terms of Scotland's relationship with the United Kingdom.

I welcome the declarations from the opposition parties about constructive opposition because, although the SNP has a majority of the seats, we don't have a monopoly of wisdom.

And the areas that we want to pursue as an immediate priority in terms of reinforcing the parliament's economic teeth, with the legislation going through the Scottish Parliament, are areas which carry not just the support of the SNP but the support of other parties.

In identifying borrowing powers to keep the revival in the construction industry moving and the recovery of Scotland, we have the support of the Labour Party. In identifying the control of the Crown Estate Commission, so as Scotland gets the benefit of its vast renewable wealth of offshore resources in the way we never did in terms of our vast oil and gas resources, we have the support of the Liberal Democrats.

And, of course, in identifying the need to devolve corporation tax, it was a committee of the entire parliament that made the point that that power would have to be devolved to keep Scotland's industry competitive with elements elsewhere. We have a majority of seats but no monopoly on wisdom and we will welcome the support across the parliament as we seek to pursue these powers for the benefit of our people and secure jobs for our people.

I believe the SNP won this election because Scotland wants to travel in hope and to aim high. Scotland has chosen to believe in itself and our shared capacity to build a fair society. The nation can be better, it wants to be better, and I will do all I can as First Minister to make it better. We have given ourselves the permission to be bold and we will govern fairly and wisely, with an eye to the future but a heart to forgive.

This is not just a victory for a single political party. I believe it is a victory for a society of people and a nation. To make this historic breakthrough required more than the hard work of the SNP faithful. It needed the trust of the people; all the people. When our movement began, it called itself the National Party of Scotland. And that is what it is today again. A party for all the people; a national party. Team Scotland has won this election – the job creators, carers, the nurses, the small businesses, the ambitious and the aspirational; they have all won.

We are not fixed on the past in all its great colour – our eyes are on the future and the dreams that can be realised. I will govern for all of the ambitions of Scotland and all the people who imagine we can live in a better land.

This party, the Scottish party, the national party, carries your hope and we shall carry it carefully and make the nation proud.