21 Apr 2017

The Labour party will pursue a coalition deal with the SNP ahead of June’s General Election, it has been reported.

Sources said today Labour would be well-placed to “cut a deal” with parties like the SNP in an anti-Brexit move.

This undermines claims from Kezia Dugdale earlier this week that the party wouldn’t be looking to team up with the SNP to keep the Conservatives out of number 10.

The admission confirms Labour’s weakness on Scotland’s place in the UK, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said.

She added while Ms Dugdale may say publicly she doesn’t want to do business with the nationalists, behind the scenes she’s “plotting to do a deal” that would “sell pro-UK Scots down the river”.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said:

“The cat is out of the bag. Despite public denials from Jeremy Corbyn and Kezia Dugdale, it turns out that – in private – they are plotting to do a deal with the SNP.

“We know already that Jeremy Corbyn is willing to do a deal with the SNP – he has said he is ‘absolutely fine’ with a second referendum on independence.

“Talk from Labour about ruling out a coalition with Labour is a straw man.

“It’s clear the real plan is to buy SNP votes in the House of Commons to help put a minority Labour government in power – and sell pro-UK Scots down the river in the process.

“There is only one way to stop this – and that is to vote Scottish Conservative on June 8.

“Only we can be relied upon to stand up against a second referendum and fight back against the SNP.”

To see the original story, visit:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/labour-plots-brexit-deal-parties-10265607

20 Apr 2017

The SNP will use the upcoming General Election campaign to “pour negativity” on the rest of the UK, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has said.

At First Minister’s Questions today, she highlighted a number of instances where SNP MSPs had produced “negative trash” on the role of Britain both at home and abroad.

It comes after Ruth spoke at an event alongside Bill Gates highlighting the contribution made by UK foreign aid across the world.

And today, she challenged Nicola Sturgeon to acknowledge these contributions, instead of siding with her SNP colleagues who described life in the UK as “hell on earth”.

Backbencher Joan McAlpine also wrote in her Daily Record column that the election of a Conservative government would be “eternal damnation in a bottomless pit”.

In contrast, Mr Gates – one of the world’s most successful businessmen and significant charitable forces – said of the UK’s aid effort: “You are the reason that malaria deaths are down in entire villages and life-saving vaccines are now reaching kids in the most remote parts of the world.”

However, the First Minister refused to criticise Ms McAlpine’s remarks, and instead resorted to criticism of Westminster.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said:

“We are about to fight a General Election campaign where we know what the SNP’s message will be.

“It’s that living in the UK, under a Conservative government, would supposedly be ‘hell on earth’.

“And even given the work Britain does around the world, as highlighted by Bill Gates in London this week, Nicola Sturgeon still seems to think this is a fair description of life in this country.

“She fails to acknowledge the work our government is doing around the world – helping girls get an education, in supporting women work their way out of poverty, in ending early and forced marriage.

“It’s pathetic that she and the rest of the SNP would rather denigrate us.

“In the weeks ahead the Scottish Conservatives will set out our vision of a UK that’s a force for good in the world. And we will stand up for Scotland’s place in that United Kingdom.

“In contrast, Nicola Sturgeon’s first intervention has been to say she wants to put Jeremy Corbyn into Number 10.”

20 Apr 2017

More than 500,000 Scottish jobs rely on barrier-free trade with the rest of Britain, experts have warned.

The respected Fraser of Allander Institute has produced analysis showing the jobs of 530,000 people north of the border are “supported by demand for our goods and services from the rest of the UK”.

It is the latest piece of analysis highlighting the importance of the wider UK market to Scotland’s economy.

Yet that’s the very market the SNP wants to jeopardise with its drive for separation, shadow finance secretary Murdo Fraser warned.

The Fraser of Allander report showed 528,707 jobs are supported by the rUK market, 177,553 by exports to the rest of the world, and a further 125,206 from European exports.

Scottish Conservative shadow finance secretary Murdo Fraser said:

“This is more in-depth analysis showing the importance of the UK market to Scotland’s economy.

“Hundreds of thousands of jobs rely on the fact there are no trade barriers between Scotland and the rest of Britain.

“Yet the SNP wants to destroy this arrangement with its reckless gamble, making life harder for businesses and workers.

“The Scottish Government cannot afford to ignore stark evidence like this, however inconvenient it is for its separation drive.”

To see the full Fraser of Allander report, visit:
https://www.sbs.strath.ac.uk/economics/fraser/20170420/Exports-and-Employment-Scotland.pdf

19 Apr 2017

Ruth Davidson will today use a major event in London to argue that Britain’s commitment to aid and development can demonstrate it intends to remain a “good, global citizen” as we leave the European Union.

The Scottish Conservative leader will be addressing an audience at the Royal United Services Institute to make the continuing case for aid and development spending.

Entitled ‘Global Leadership: How Britain Can Use Overseas Aid to Save Lives and Keep us Safe’, Ruth will be responding to a keynote speech by Bill Gates, who is the main speaker at the event.

Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr Gates will be speaking about the partnership between his foundation and the UK Government on improving global health and ending extreme poverty.

He will also speak to the importance of continued UK leadership on aid to ensure a safer and healthier world.

Also speaking at the event will be former foreign secretary Lord Hague.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson is expected to say:

“As one of the world’s major economies, Britain has a responsibility to act – a responsibility that is all the greater now that we are leaving the European Union.

“Our friends and allies are asking whether the United Kingdom is still the outward facing nation they know it to be.

“We must show, more than ever, that we intend to remain a good global citizen.

“From its bases in London and East Kilbride, UK Aid delivers major development programmes to some of the poorest and most unstable regions of the world.

“From mine clearance to economic development to the education of girls, the UK makes a huge and positive impact.

“Clearing landmines doesn’t just make a region safer, it returns land to commercial use, helps create and sustain employment of men at risk of terrorist recruitment and aids economic recovery of post-war nations.

“The education of women helps reduce infant mortality, increases economic development and makes a huge impact in improving public health.

“Both are gamechangers in the countries being helped, but equally, both help make a safer, more stable, more equitable world which helps us all.

“The UK Government is undertaking a root and branch review of the way contracts are handled within DFID, and that is absolutely correct.

“Misuse of aid funds not only means that vital support does not go to the people who need it in some of the poorest nations on the planet, it also risks eroding public support for our aid commitment here at home.

“We must now ensure that every penny goes where it is needed.”

19 Apr 2017

The Scottish Conservatives have launched their manifesto for the Local Government elections on the 4th of May.

The manifesto – entitled ‘Localism for Growth’ – will set out the party’s plan to oppose a second referendum on independence, and reverse a decade of SNP centralisation.

Commenting today, party leader Ruth Davidson said: 

“The council elections are a chance for people to make clear the priorities they want in Scotland.

“It’s to ensure we have local councils focused on your school and your local services, not on a divisive referendum campaign most people don’t want.

“We have two key points to make at this election. After ten years of SNP centralisation, we want to make the case for localism – so decisions are put back in the hands of your local community.

“And, after a decade of constitutional division, we want to send a message to the SNP: we don’t want your unwanted independence referendum. Every Scottish Conservative councillor who is elected on May 4th will demand nothing less.”

In today’s manifesto, local government spokesman Graham Simpson added:

“Scotland is fast becoming one of the most centralised countries in the western world.

“The SNP Government reserves for itself the right to make the vast majority of economic decisions, so local authorities have been relegated to mere service providers.

“We need to empower councils and give them a renewed sense of meaning and purpose. They can and must be the engines of growth”.

You can read the manifesto here.