29 May 2018

Scottish Conservative analysis of Police Scotland crime statistics shows that anti-social behaviour rose by 5 per cent over the last year.

The figures show that there have been 343,570 anti-social behaviour incidents in Scotland during 2017-18, a rise of 17,794.

In addition, the figures demonstrate that there have been almost 1,000 anti-social behaviour incidents per day across Scotland.

Aberdeen City Council reported the highest increase at 41 per cent, followed by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar at 35 per cent and Aberdeenshire at 34 per cent.

The highest number of incidents took place in Glasgow at 56,337 incidents, representing a staggering 154 incidents per day.

Commenting on these figures, Liam Kerr, Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary said:

“Anti-social behaviour has an extremely negative impact on our communities and can severely affect people’s quality of life, especially the elderly and vulnerable.

“These rising levels of anti-social behaviour clearly indicate that the SNP’s soft touch approach to crime is failing communities.

“It is no coincidence that under the SNP police numbers are falling, police morale is at an all-time low and that police officers are increasingly filling in paperwork rather than patrolling our streets

“There must be no question of abandoning victims of anti-social behaviour or implicitly signalling to the perpetrators that they will be tolerated.

“The SNP must ensure we have enough police officers on our streets to detect and deter anyone undertaking anti-social behaviour, and reassure the public that they will be protected.”

28 May 2018

Scotland’s First Minister has again talked down the importance of the UK market, hinting that she valued custom with other EU countries more.

In an interview in Brussels, Nicola Sturgeon claimed the European single market was “eight times the size of the UK market”.

This is despite official statistics showing businesses here trade four times as much with other parts of the UK than Europe.

She told the audience as part of her Belgian trip: “It is important for Scotland to trade freely across the UK. It’s vital for the rest of the UK to trade freely with Scotland. But it’s really important for Scotland also to continue to be able to trade freely within the single market. The single market is eight times the size of the UK market, so we shouldn’t have to be in a position where we are having to choose one or the other.”

In the same interview, Ms Sturgeon claimed the Scottish independence referendum was a more pleasant experience than the Brexit vote, something the Scottish Conservatives dismissed as “fantasy analysis”.

And she admitted to keeping in touch with predecessor Alex Salmond, who’s come under severe criticism for continuing to work for Kremlin-backed TV station Russia Today.

She said: “The last time I spoke to him was probably a couple of weeks ago, but what I last said to him I can’t remember.”

Addressing last week’s independence blueprint, she described points around currency as “recommendations” rather than SNP policy, distancing herself from some of the findings.

Scottish Conservative MSP Annie Wells said:

“It’s plainly misleading to talk of the European single market in this way.

“The SNP government’s own figures prove that the importance of the UK single market – the very one the nationalists want to destroy – is four times more important than the EU.

“For Nicola Sturgeon to make out like the independence referendum was a joyous occasion in comparison to Brexit is also fantasy analysis.

“The behaviour throughout that campaign, and since, from some of her most fervent supporters was appalling, and the SNP would do well to confront that.

“After the car crash of the independence blueprint last week, it’s also no surprise to see Nicola Sturgeon distance herself from some of the findings.

“The SNP was too afraid to talk up the report when it came out, and now it’s begun the lengthy process of backing away altogether.”

25 May 2018

Ruth Davidson has today reacted to the publication of the SNP’s independence blueprint, saying it is time for the Nationalists to move on from the “arguments of the past”.

The SNP’s latest independence plan, published today, has revealed that multi-billion cuts would be required after independence – something the pro-UK parties warned about prior to the 2014 independence vote, but which the SNP refused to accept.

The Scottish Conservatives are today calling on the SNP to “focus on the day job”, rather than constantly re-heat the independence debate.

The paper also confirms that the SNP would no longer support a monetary union with the rest of the UK after independence – in another u-turn from 2014.

Ruth said today:

“More than four years ago, the SNP delivered an independence blueprint which they claimed was the final word. Today, they are telling us to ignore the old version and have instead produced an entirely new manual which we’re expected to believe is credible.”

“One thing hasn’t changed: none of it adds up.”

“People in Scotland have had enough of Nicola Sturgeon grand-standing on independence. They want all politicians to focus on the here and now – improving school standards, ensuring fair funding for our NHS and building a Scottish economy that works for us all.”

“This is just the latest in a long line of attempted re-starts of an independence debate Nicola Sturgeon promised would be settled for a generation.”

“More and more Scots are waking up to the fact that, for the First Minister, it is independence first and everything else a long way behind.”

“The people of Scotland deserve a government at Holyrood that is focussed on the day job, not a First Minister constantly grandstanding in an attempt to drag Scotland back to the arguments of the past.”

Today’s paper claims that an independent Scotland would start life with a deficit of 5.9% – and proposes reducing this to 2.6% within ten years.

Even using these figures – which the Scottish Conservatives do not accept are accurate – this would require savings equivalent of £27.1 billion over ten years to Scottish public services.

On the cost of the new independence plan, Scottish Conservative shadow Finance Secretary Murdo Fraser added:

“This is the price that the SNP is prepared to pay in order to break up Britain.”

“It would be cost felt in every ward, in every classroom and on every street in Scotland. It is austerity on stilts.”

“Nicola Sturgeon has ducked and dived on this report. She must now spell out whether she’s happy to inflict this cost on Scotland purely so she can have a shot at history.”

“We will do all we can to fight against a second independence referendum in order to save our NHS and our schools from the SNP’s ideological obsession.”

23 May 2018

The education of Scotland’s youngsters will suffer if the SNP drags Scotland “back down the rabbit hole” of another independence debate.

Speaking ahead of the launch of Nicola Sturgeon’s separation blueprint tomorrow, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson pointed to a series of education failings which have occurred on the SNP’s watch.

And she warned these would worsen if the SNP government restarted the bid to break up Britain, neglecting domestic priorities in the process.

At First Minister’s Questions today, it was revealed fewer pupils are sitting key STEM subjects – specifically biology, chemistry, maths and physics – than in 2014.

The SNP’s pledge to cut class sizes in primaries one to three to a maximum of 18 pupils has also failed, Ruth added.

In Nicola Sturgeon’s own constituency just four of 91 classes meet that promise.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said:

“The First Minister used to claim education was her top priority – but the evidence points to the contrary.

“It’s hard to see how dragging Scotland back down the rabbit hole of a debate on independence is going to improve our schools.

“Not only are fewer pupils taking Highers in key STEM subjects, fewer are getting those Highers than in 2014.

“The SNP also said cutting class sizes was a priority, yet a tiny fraction of classes now meet their pledge.

“This is typical of the SNP. It makes promises to get elected and abandons them as soon as they become inconvenient.

“But there is one issue the nationalists will never put aside, as the launch of their latest separation blueprint proves.

“Nicola Sturgeon has made clear what her priorities are – it’s independence first and everything else a long way behind.

“It’s no wonder the people of Scotland want her to give it a rest.”

23 May 2018

The dwindling number of subjects pupils are able to take hits those who wish to leave school at an earlier age the hardest, the Scottish Conservatives have said.

Speaking in a debate in Holyrood today, shadow education secretary Liz Smith said there had been a huge increase in the number of schools who were now restricting the number of courses in S4 from the traditional eight down to six.

She pointed to statistics showing 57 per cent of schools only offer six subjects for children in S4 to take.

In 2013, that figure was 28 per cent.

And it means those who choose to leave school before sitting Highers will do so with fewer qualifications to their name than ever, hampering their chances of employment, apprenticeships or a college place.

The debate took place as part of Scottish Conservative business, and followed leader Ruth Davidson raising the issue with Nicola Sturgeon at First Minister’s Questions last week.

The fact there are 3400 fewer teachers from when the SNP came to power has also been blamed for a lack of subject choice.

Scottish Conservative shadow education secretary Liz Smith said:

“Few decisions are more important to any young person at school than those they make about subject choice.

“However, we’ve become concerned – along with parents and teachers – about evidence which points to the range of choices at S4 level being restricted.

“This impacts everyone, but particularly those who want to leave school at the end of S4 or S5 who will now do so with fewer qualifications than would otherwise be the case.

“There is a marked effect on many young people attending schools in disadvantaged communities – something about which we should all be very concerned in terms of widening access.

“One key part of this is teacher numbers.

“We cannot hope to offer effective subject choice if we have 3400 fewer teachers in the system.”