27 Oct 2018

The SNP’s first 18 months running Scotland’s biggest council has been branded an “abject failure” by the Scottish Conservatives.

Using his first major speech as interim leader, Jackson Carlaw will tell blast the nationalists’ performance at the party’s West Region conference on Saturday.

He will identify a series of problems which the SNP administration has either created or failed to deal with, a year-and-a-half on from the local government elections.

Nationalist councillors have been criticised for failing to respond to the needs of businesses and residents following two major fires in the city centre.

The decision to ferry round senior councillors in a “show-stopping” Rolls Royce while cutting access to public services will be highlighted.

And Jackson will point out that the price of nursery provision has rocketed, while free access to swimming pools has been scrapped for children and pensioners.

He will also bring up the case of senior SNP figures in the city interfering to stop the creation of a “fan zone” at Ibrox stadium.

Scottish Conservative interim leader Jackson Carlaw said:

“The SNP won power in Glasgow and immediately claimed it would change things for the better, even having the temerity to rebrand itself as a ‘city government’.

“But as we approach the 18-month milestone, it’s clear the SNP’s reign up to now has been an abject failure.

“Access to services have been slashed, the cost of nursery provision increased and rubbish has been allowed to mount up on the street.

“All the while, senior nationalist councillors are being ferried around in a show-stopping Rolls Royce.

“Just like everything with the SNP, a host of warm-worded statements have been followed by inaction and disappointment.

“The people of Glasgow are now experiencing what those in other SNP-run administrations have endured for years.”

26 Oct 2018

An official review into Scotland’s mesh implant scandal contained “systematic” failings and conflicts of interest, a further report has found.

It has been reported today that a damning report by Prof Alison Britton made a series of recommendations for the Scottish Government to improve such reviews in future, and was critical of how the scandal was handled by ministers.

It comes a day after the Scottish Conservatives raised the issue at First Minister’s Questions, demanding the thousands of women north of the border given a mesh implant are offered a full and formal apology.

Now interim leader Jackson Carlaw has said an apology should also be given for the way in which the initial review was conducted.

Last year, shortly before the original review was published, three panel members resigned, calling it a whitewash.

Scottish Conservative interim leader Jackson Carlaw said:

“It’s well-established that mesh implants are a national, self-inflicted scandal which has impacted on thousands of women.

“It’s why I brought it centre stage in my first FMQs.

“Now we learn from Professor Alison Britton that the SNP government’s review into this scandal was utterly compromised by the inclusion of those with clear vested interests which they were never asked to declare.

“Yesterday, I secured from the First Minister a full, formal and unequivocal apology to all the women affected by mesh for the crippling pain and anxiety they’ve experienced from life-changing injuries.

“Ministers must now also apologise for this inadequate review and explain why anyone can now have confidence in the conclusions it reached.

“Those who resigned from the original review panel in the later stages when the draft report was subject to sinister and sensational amendment have now been utterly vindicated.

“It was not just a ‘whitewash’ in name, Professor Britton has found it to be a ‘whitewash’ in fact.

“There are very serious lessons to be learned here for the Scottish Government, not just in terms of the mesh response, but how it establishes all and any future enquiries.

“The recommendations of Professor Britton must be accepted in full.”

20 Oct 2018

The number of private childcare providers has dropped by 362 in the last year, according to Scottish Conservative comparison of the latest Care Inspectorate data.

The figures show that the number of active childcare providers, including childminders, childcare agencies and nurseries, has dropped by 6 percent in the last year, from 6475 to 6113.

Specifically, the number of private nurseries and childcare agencies has dropped by 5 per cent, down from 1172 in 2017 to 1110 in 2018.

This comes after private childcare providers have warned the SNP that their shambolic plan to expand childcare is about to ‘implode’, leaving them on the brink of closure.

The Scottish Government’s childcare expansion comes into force by 2020, when families will be entitled to 1140 hours per year of free early learning and childcare.

Alison Harris, Scottish Conservative children and young person spokesman said:

“The expansion of childcare cannot be delivered by the SNP without a massive increase in nursery provision, and yet private nurseries are in decline.

“This reduction in independent childcare providers totally undermines confidence that the SNP can deliver this policy.

“The SNP’s shambolic approach is pushing the remaining nurseries to the brink.

“The SNP must work with independent childcare providers so that no family misses out on this crucial support.

“While the SNP might be content with headlines, families are depending on delivery.”

19 Oct 2018

On the back of a ten-minute rule bill by Scottish Conservative MP, Paul Masterton, the Government is set to open a consultation and support the introduction of Collective Defined Pension Schemes.

Collective Defined Pension Schemes (CDCs) are seen as an alternative means of workplace saving, following the decline of final salary pension schemes.

CDCs have been used in many countries but came to attention in the U.K. following an agreement between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU). However, it became clear that new legislation would be needed to take the proposal forward, which is why Mr Masterton introduced his Bill.

The Royal Mail employs 140,000 across the U.K., with 143 in East Renfrewshire serving 30,000 households from depots in Barrhead, Newton Mearns and Clarkston.

Supporters of CDC argue that it can deliver higher returns than traditional money purchase schemes for the same level of contributions, partly because CDC pension pots would not need to take as cautious an investment approach as those in more conventional defined contribution schemes.

Before being elected last year, Mr. Masterton spent a decade as a solicitor specialising in pensions law.

Paul Masterton, MP for East Renfrewshire commented:

“I’m pleased that the Government is following up on warm words with action to make CDCs a reality by launching a consultation.

“They are by no means a magic solution to the complex questions of saving in the modern workplace, but there is a clear desire amongst employers and employee representatives to move forward.

“I brought forward a Bill because I was frustrated at progress, I’m delighted if this announcement means I can hand the baton over to the Government.

“I’d like to thank the Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union for all their hard work.”

 Guy Opperman MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State from Pensions and Financial Inclusion added:

“I was pleased to engage with Paul Masterton and thank him for bringing forward his proposals this week. We will be shortly issuing a consultation on CDCs and it is good to see growing consensus that this is a positive way forward.” 

Robert McIlveen, UK Policy Manager at the Royal Mail added:

“As the provider of around one in every 190 jobs in the UK, Royal Mail is committed to delivering the best possible pension arrangements for our people. Royal Mail and the CWU hope the legislation required to enable CDC pensions will be introduced at the earliest opportunity.”

18 Oct 2018

See below a statement from the Scottish Conservatives following confirmation of a case of BSE at a farm in Aberdeenshire.

Scottish Conservative North East MSP Peter Chapman said:

“This is a potentially extremely serious issue for farming in Scotland, and particularly the north east.

“We’ve been free of BSE for many years, so this is a very concerning development.

“Now we need everyone to work together to find out everything they can about this case.

“The good news is this disease isn’t transmissible between cattle in contact with each other, so there is no risk to neighbouring farms.

“But we need to know all about the animal, where it’s been, where its offspring are, and offer as many reassurances as we possibly can that this is a one-off instance.”