ALEX SALMOND, Scotland’s most famous secessionist, is prone to displays of grandeur. During the campaign for independence over the summer the first minister took to comparing himself to Robert the Bruce, the Scots’ leader in their 14th-century wars against the English. However, when the secessionists lost the referendum in September he promptly announced his resignation.

His successor as first minister and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) is humbler in style. Nicola Sturgeon’s speech at her party’s conference in Perth on November 15th lacked the bombast of MrSalmond’s valedictory address the day before. Ms Sturgeon grew up in modest circumstances and owes her smooth rise through the political ranks to judicious alliance building (specifically, a decade-long collaboration with MrSalmond).

MrSalmond bequeaths a strikingly upbeat party. Although the secessionists lost September’s referendum by 45% to 55%, the SNP has, since then, welcomed pro-independence activists keen to continue the struggle. In under three months its membership has grown from 25,000 to over 85,000 (almost one in 50 Scottish adults is now in the party). One poll of voting intentions by Survation for the Daily Record on November 18th put it on 46% there, largely at the expense of the Labour Party. If repeated in next May’s general election, that would give the SNP 52 of Scotland’s 59 seats in the House of Commons.

Ms Sturgeon, who was sworn in as first minister on November 20th, wants to convert this fleeting surge into lasting power. Her conference speech revealed glimpses of a three-step plan. The first task is to squash her party’s social democratic rival, the Labour Party, by shifting to the left. Ms Sturgeon has already moved into Labour territory by pledging to extend free child care, pay government cleaners more and increase spending on health care.(Economist)

翻译：

苏格兰最著名的分裂主义者亚历克斯·萨蒙德很容易表现出显赫之感。在今年夏季的苏独运动中，这位首席部长将自己比作了罗伯特·布鲁斯，曾在十四世纪领导对抗英格兰人的战争苏格兰国王。然而，分裂主义者们于9月在公投中失利后，他很快就宣告了自己的辞职。

他的继任者，作为首届首席部长和苏格兰国民党(SNP)的领袖，相比而言行事谦逊。11月15号，SNP于帕斯召开会议，尼古拉·斯特金在会上的发言并没有像前一天萨尔蒙德的离职演讲那样天花乱坠。斯特金出身平凡，通过明智的联盟建设而在政治头衔上步步升并赢得了今天的政治地位(明确地说，是与萨尔蒙德长达十年的合作)。

萨尔蒙德留下的是一个欣欣向荣的政党。尽管分裂主义者在九月的公投中以45%比55%的票数落败了，但SNP自那以后为仍热心于继续抗争的支持独立者敞开着大门。在三个月内，它的成员就从25，000人上升到了85，000人(约每50个苏格兰成年人中就有一人为该党成员)。11月18号，民调机构Survation为每日纪事报所做的舆论调查显示SNP现有46%的支持率，大部分从工党转投而来。如果明年五月大选情景再现，这将使SNP获得苏格兰下议院59个席位中的52个。

斯特金于11月20号宣誓成为首席部长，她希望将这短期的激增转化为持久的战斗力。她的会议演讲透露了三步计划。第一个任务是通过转向左翼，干掉SNP的社会民主党对手工党。斯特金已通过承诺扩大儿童福利范围、提高政府清洁工薪资和增加医疗支出成功打入工党领域。