Monthly Archives: October 2011

Scottish Conservatives in Manchester, at the heart of a United Kingdom Party

October 02, 2011   Tory Hoose   No comments
Jackson Carlaw 
Ahead of the Scottish Conservative Leadership Hustings taking place in Manchester at the UK Conservative Party Conference, Jackson Carlaw MSP reaffirms his commitment to Scottish Conservative & Unionists being at the heart of the UK Conservative Party.
Following various failed attempts by Murdo Fraser to reassure members or explain his proposals for a new party convincingly, Jackson has responded with 6 key challenges for Murdo to answer.
Jackson said
“As a proud Scottish Conservative & Unionist I have been attending the UK Conservative Party Conference across the years since my first visit as a Young Conservative in 1979. This national conference is when Conservatives across the UK understand the force of being part of the wider Unionist political family.”
“Like me, no-one who attended the Brighton Conference in 1984 will ever forget the profound emotions felt then, no–one will forget either, the highs and lows we have shared together in the face of both electoral success and defeat.”
“Our place in the United Kingdom Conservative Party is not the plaything of any individual any more than Scotland’s place in the United Kingdom is the plaything of any one political Party.”
“Our MPs in the House of Commons must be more than a pressure group on the margins; viewed with suspicion and treated with contempt. I want a strong group of Scottish Conservative MPs again who can once more occupy the great offices of state as proud Scottish Conservative & Unionists in a truly British Conservative Government.  Would Malcolm Rifkind ever have been Foreign Secretary or George Younger, Defence Secretary if they had sat as MPs for Scottish constituencies but not as Scottish Conservatives? It is madness to think our English and Welsh colleagues would tolerate such a situation – and why should they?
“Eight of the surviving Scottish Conservative Party Chairmen have rejected separation from the UK Party and if elected Leader I promise that the Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party will continue to be a proud and active partner within a UK Conservative Party.”
“A strong Scotland in a great Britain.”
“Murdo is fond of releasing answers to questions he has set himself. Let him answer the 6 key challenges to his proposals I am setting out today.”
Questions for Murdo Fraser
1.   How do we best serve Scotland by spending the next eighteen months, at best navel gazing, or, worse, fighting a civil war, over what we’re called, how we’re organised and suing for divorce from the rest of the British Conservative family when, at the same time, Alex Salmond is planning and plotting the destruction of the United Kingdom?
2.   On what basis can Murdo guarantee that any separate Party will be able to negotiate and secure a future vote for the Leader of what will, inevitably, become the English & Welsh Conservative Party. This is a party version of the West Lothian Question writ large. Why would the English & Welsh Conservatives allow Scots from a different party to vote for their Leader?
3.   If Murdo is elected Leader and follows through with plans to disband the current Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party he will require a 2/3 majority at a Special Conference. Given his recent campaign statements about the present Party, how could he have any credibility in leading a Party he has described as “unelectable” if he fails to get the required 2/3 support?
4.   Does Murdo accept that in quoting the CDU/CSU arrangement he forgets to mention that CSU members have no vote  in leadership elections for the CDU; and that state funding ensures the smaller CSU is not disadvantaged?
5.   Can and will Murdo produce a financial business plan for his new Party for the next five years – ie for the lifetime of this Holyrood Parliament?
6.   Of the eight surviving former Party Chairmen, why does only one support his plans to disband the Party?
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Party Bias Trouble – Seriously?

October 02, 2011   Neil Benny   No comments

This morning’s Herald leads on the news that the Ruth campaign has again been thrown into chaos by allegations that the parties’ chief spin doctor was seen at a meeting with leadership candidate Ruth Davidson. Concerns have been raised by both the Murdo and Carlaw camps about the alleged incident.

We are a party with a small number of people at the top and a certain level of social contact is inevitable. I think there has to be a certain element of trust. I say this as a someone who supports Murdo’s campaign, that we need to remember we are all in the same party and should be able to trust people in authority.

There may be an element of judgement to be exercised by people in authority that they should seen to be beyond reproach, but members have to show a bit of faith and understanding. I for one don’t want to have to be anti-social by avoiding everyone who disagrees with me in case they influence me – that way madness (and loneliness) lies.

The party has to come out of this leadership contest strengthened and not weakened by bitterness – let’s remember that whoever wins, we will all swing behind him or her and get on with fighting for the people of Scotland.

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Margaret Mitchell MSP – Why I’m standing to be the next leader of the Scottish Conservatives

October 02, 2011   Webmaster   No comments
Margaret Mitchell

Continuing our series introducing the leadership candidates – here’s Margaret Mitchell’s introduction video:

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Carlaw on his Policy Review

October 01, 2011   Tory Hoose   No comments
Jackson Carlaw

Jackson Carlaw MSP has said that If elected leader he will immediately establish policy groups involving MSPs, councillors and others to review two key areas of immediate concern; a review of our support for the SNP Government’s plans for a single Scottish Police Force following the SNP’s cavalier disregard this week for the principle of an independent civil service following the remarks of Sir Peter Housden and an investigation into the proliferation of wind farm developments across Scotland.

 

Jackson has promised that there will be no more policy handed down by Tory ‘high command’ at Holyrood. Instead, councillors and others with direct experience will work with MSPs to evolve policy.

 

Jackson said

 

A single Scottish Police Force

 

“The SNP has demonstrated this week that it is happy to be cavalier with regard to respecting the political impartiality of the civil service in the wake of the ill-judged conduct of Sir Peter Housden.”

 

“We cannot allow policing to be determined, by one Party without reference to wider concerns. Nor can we risk any similar cavalier attitude towards Police impartiality. In many ways SNP belligerence illustrates the potential future problems a single Police Force might create.”

 

“Our support for a single Scottish Police Force was never unconditional. And the SNP has loftily dismissed the pre-condition we made for our support – namely the direct election of local Police Commissioners to ensure accountability.”

 

“Moreover, I am dismayed that we have adopted this policy in the face of widespread concern among our locally elected councillors, including those who sit on Police Boards. They believe that while savings can be made there are other key considerations too.”

 

“If elected Leader, I will instruct an immediate review of our policy, led by MSPs, conservative councillors and others both in and outside the Party who can contribute to the debate. The option of a reduction to three new Scottish Police Forces may prove to be less susceptible to political abuse.”

 

Windfarms

 

“What started as the development of key strategic renewable wind farm projects is becoming a seeming free for all of individual small wind power developments. While not significant in themselves, the cumulative force of their physical presence is transforming our landscape unchecked and in an entirely unplanned way.”

 

“We have a duty to the landscape, to tourism economy and to communities which must caution our support for each and every proposed development. Clearly we now urgently need a strategic plan for Scotland and a moratorium on fresh turbine approvals until we have one.”

 

“Under my leadership Scottish Conservatives will establish an urgent audit and review of the current wind farm map across Scotland and seek to establish a policy for future approvals which will protect Scotland’s landscapes with just as much emphasis as Scotland’s future energy needs.”

 

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Cosla Accepts Scottish Government Budget Deal

October 01, 2011   Neil Benny   No comments

In a move that will surprise no-one the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities has accepted the Scottish Government’s budget deal. The increasingly shrill noises from Glasgow City Council continue to act as an unsurprising counterpoint to the annual budget round. They have intimated that they are unhappy with the deal for Glasgow, citing the money being plunged into the Edinburgh tram project as evidence of this.

Now the new budget deal does reintroduce an element of ring fencing for SNP government priorities, it also continues the teacher jobs and police numbers pledges. The big ask is the spending cuts implicit in the continued council tax freeze.

I for one support the council tax freeze and still think that, especially in Stirling, council tax is still too high. The problem is that I don’t like having a gun pointed at my head and made to do something, even when it’s what I would have done anyway. The fact that the Scottish Government has cottoned on to this novel way of forcing councils to do their bidding means that we will have to get used to it.

So what about local democracy – is it the right of Glaswegians to elect Councillors who will tax them more? The simple answer to this is yes.

I would like to see an exit strategy for the current funding strategy. At present the Scottish Government offer extra funds to councils if they continue to freeze council tax (and protect police numbers, teacher jobs, the change funds). The government should reduce this funding over time with a clear date at which councils will no longer be reliant on government for their tax freezes. This will give people a choice to elect councillors who will run their councils efficiently or councillors who will raise taxes.

I find the current system quite ingenious from a public policy point of view – coercing councils through withholding extra funding unless they do the government’s bidding is a way of maintaining an illusion of localism while ruthlessly centralising power. We’ll all have to play “Hail to the chief” whenever Alex Salmond walks into a council building, but we’ll be doing it because we are addicted to the extra funding he doles out. No doubt when the time comes I’ll be meekly voting with the rest of the sheep because our council is too inefficient to do without the subsidy, we’re to frightened of the unions and organised interest within the council area.

Now a council that turns down the extra money and continues to hold the council tax – that would be a interesting proposition.

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