SNP revert to language of the desperate and deficit deniers

In what can only be described as a predictable and unimaginative move, the SNP is to follow Labour and use the phrase “Conservative" or "Tory-led" Government in every / any attempt in describing the UK Coalition Government.





The SNP has announced that it intends to use the phrase “Conservative-led” as often as possible.

During last week’s Westminster debate on the Scotland Bill, the SNP’s Pete Wishart described the Coalition as the “Conservative-led government” a number of times, despite his comments being mainly addressed to Michael Moore, the LibDem Scottish Secretary.

The Labour Party has even had the audacity to write to broadcasters calling for them to also adopt the phrase “Conservative-led Government” and insisting that “Coalition” should not be considered a neutral description.

Ed Miliband has told all members, from activists to front bench MPs to stop using the word “Coalition”. It seems that making up names is more useful than taking ownership for the £2 trillion deficit that his Party left the Coalition Government to come along and pick up the tab for.

The Electorate must be offered greater respect from the Politicians! What response would there be in the media if the Conservatives started calling the "Union-led Opposition"?

The £120m daily deficit interest payments currently cost the average taxpayer in Uddingston & Bellshill some £1400 per year. Money that would be back in their pocket had Labour not run riot with the Country's chequebook and credit card!

So, away from the name calling and school playground politics, lets look at the facts. Without the Scottish Conservatives we would not have 1,000 more police, a freeze in Council Tax, tax cuts for our smallest businesses or a new national drugs strategy.

We have delivered – and we will again.

BMI flights suspension will do nothing to promote Scottish economy

BMI has announced the ‘suspension’ of daily flights between Glasgow and Heathrow airports from the end of March 2011 citing forthcoming rises in domestic passenger charges at the London airport.

This announcement means that the only flights for the route will be provided by British Airways however BMI do hope to be able to look at the route again in the future.

Jackson Carlaw MSP, Shadow Minister for Transport, said:

“This news from BMI is a huge disappointment.

“Scottish Conservatives believe that BAA at Heathrow should have reconsidered the timing of their new landing charges. This would have given BMI time to increase the onwards transit percentage of their passengers travelling through London from Glasgow. Also, BMI should have allowed more time for an equitable solution to be negotiated.

“In the event, Scottish business and domestic passengers are now faced with a reduced service to and from Glasgow which will do nothing to promote the Scottish economy.”

SNP Government Budget - Full of Scottish Conservative policies but still room for more

Derek Brownlee MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance & Sustainable Growth, spoke in today’s Budget Bill Stage 1 debate where he called for a greater focus on job creation & reform of public services as MSPs decide on the 1 year budget.



There are things in this budget with which we agree:

The pay freeze on salaries over £21,000, to protect jobs

The protection of the NHS budget

The funding for the additional Police

The maintenance of the cuts in business rates for small and medium sized businesses

And the Council Tax Freeze

All Conservative policies. But there is always room for more.

In common with other parties, we have been in dialogue for some weeks with the Scottish Government over the Budget.

We have outlined our main concerns on where the Government needs to act to improve the budget – a greater focus on job creation in the private sector to support and rebalance the Scottish economy, and reform of public services to enable them to be protected as budgets fall.

Although this budget is for one year, it cannot be viewed in isolation.

On Monday, the Scottish Government published longer term spending figures, as required by Parliament.

However, although the First Minister was keen to boast about how the NHS budget would be protected – I wonder where he got that idea – Mr Swinney makes clear that “actual budgets will vary from the illustrations”.

If the SNP's answer is to increase public funding, then from which other areas where the Government is currently projecting a cash freeze will we see the substantial reductions made?

Will it be the NHS?

Or schools?

Affordable housing?

Aren't we entitled to know?

The First Minister used to get terribly excited about cuts of £500m; just not when they are his own doing.

The Budget is not perfect, but nor is it beyond redemption. To borrow a phrase from the First Minister, it remains in purgatory. In order to allow cross party dialogue on the budget to continue, we will support the Budget Bill today.

Pathetic start to 100 Days to Holyrood with #Labour and #SNP embroiled in immature mud-slinging on Twitter

Annabel Goldie warned that this election would descend into vitriol and she has already proved to be right.

On Burns Day of all days, the SNP and Labour decided to enter into the Punch and Judy politics that the public frankly have had enough of.



Using Social Networking site Twitter to embrace with the electorate, Scottish Labour offered this online diatribe treat: "Over the next 100 days Labour will publish our plans for a better Scotland, but today we are using our Twitter feed to highlight 100 broken SNP promises"

Whilst they may be factually correct in some of their Tweets to be fair, is it just me who thinks Labour are somewhat rich in highlighting broken promises and preaching about successful Government practice?

In response, the SNP, were talking about their achievements & future plans in on their Twitter profile. Interestingly they highlighted success and results that could only be delivered via concessions granted to the Scottish Conservatives including Council Tax Freezes and a 1000 more Police on the Scotland's streets.

The SNP of course today unveiled their 'Re-elect us' Campaign.

Here we see Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon launching the Campaign under the "A Scottish Government working for Scotland" slogan. Wouldn't this be the bare minimum you'd expect? Fancy messages don't cut the mustard. Delivering results do and the Scottish Conservatives will deliver again.

Speaking on the start of the 100 day countdown to the Scottish Parliamentary election, Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie MSP said:

"I fear that this election is going to be 100 days of vitriol between Alex Salmond and Iain Gray – senseless mudslinging.

They both think that the campaign is all about them. It's not. It's all about Scotland.



"Scotland needs its politicians to stand up and tell it like it is. Hope for the future, but realism about today.

"This must be the election where common sense and straight talking win. I pledge to lead the Scottish Conservative campaign with a focus on the issues which matter to Scotland, and that is not the battle of egos of Salmond and Gray. This is not just about who gets the keys to Bute House, but who will deliver for Scotland, and who will hold the balance of power after May.

"Without the Scottish Conservatives we would not have 1,000 more police, a freeze in Council Tax, tax cuts for our smallest businesses or a new national drugs strategy. We have delivered – and we will again."

Salmond’s super-tax suffers double blow

The Salmond super-tax on jobs has received a further double blow, after the Regulatory Review Group revealed that the decision not to carry out a Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment on the legislation was down to the SNP Government, presumably because they were afraid of potential findings.

The Scottish Grocer’s Federation has also criticised the consequences this tax would have for town centres the length and breadth of Scotland.

Gavin Brown MSP, Shadow Minister for Enterprise, said:

“This is a double blow for the Salmond Super Tax. The SNP Government’s own appointed regulatory adviser has replied to my letter of last week, pointing out that it was the SNP who chose not to carry out a Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment on the Non-Domestic Rates regulation, otherwise known as the Salmond super-tax.

“It’s clear that John Swinney banned a probe because he was afraid of what the assessment would find. He is only supposed to bypass an assessment in exceptional circumstances. He needs to tell us just what is so extraordinary about this jobs tax?

“The SNP also decided not to consult on the tax, again quite clearly for fear of being found out.

“Now the Scottish Grocer’s Federation has stated that town centres will suffer under the Salmond super-tax.

“As these developments prove, opposition to this damaging tax is not about backing big business, as Alex Salmond claims, but all about saving Scottish jobs. Many shops across Scotland face the Salmond super-tax, threatening jobs and investment. The First Minister is sending out a message that it doesn’t pay to be a business success in Scotland. If you are successful, he will punish you.

“If the First Minister really cares about Scottish business and Scottish jobs, and if he really wants to secure the Scottish recovery, he should scrap his tax on jobs now.”

100 days until Holyrood election – Scottish Conservatives will continue to deliver for Scotland

Today marks 100 days until voters go to the polls in the fourth Scottish Parliamentary elections to select their MSP for Uddingston & Bellshill and also List MSPs.



This will be an opportunity for the people of the newly formed Constituency to vote for what they believe in and to elect who they wish to represent them at Holyrood. I hope to that both myself and the Scottish Conservatives will put forward a compelling case to secure your vote.

Scotland must stand up to the challenges that have been forced upon us by the economic mismanagement of the former Labour UK Government. In turn, the SNP Government has failed time and time again to deliver with their manifesto of broken promises.

It's time for the petty politics to be left at the front door of Holyrood. It's time for the Scottish Government to act in the national interest, not it's own partisan interest.

It's time for change and only the Scottish Conservatives can deliver this change for Scotland.

These thoughts are echoed by Annabel Goldie earlier today:

“I’m going to fight a positive and vigorous campaign.

“The Scottish Conservatives can now be judged on what we are doing, how we perform and what we have achieved, rather than by the false image and caricature of us painted by our detractors.

“Without our influence, Scotland would not have 1,000 more police, a council tax freeze, lower business rates for our smallest firms, and more help for care of the elderly at home.

“From the fringe of Scottish politics we are back in the mainstream. For the first time since 1997, we are central to how Scotland is run.

“The Scottish Conservatives are delivering for Scotland and I look forward to putting our case to the people in May.”

Royal College of Nursing Scotland Manifesto launch

I was at Holyrood last night speaking to many of the nursing profession from around the Country as Royal College of Nursing Scotland launched their manifesto ahead of this year's Election.


The aim of the evening was for RCN members to discuss with politicians what they believe should be the health priorities for the next Scottish Government and this proved to be an extremely passionate and thought provoking debate.

The hard-working frontline staff of our NHS who have delivered good results deserve all the praise they can get. Gimmicks like free prescriptions for the wealthy are simply not affordable and must be scrapped.

The Scottish Conservatives are committed to protecting the health budget, but we must continue to find efficiencies and divert funds to frontline services. The latest figures show that NHS Health Boards are spending almost £700m a year on administration costs.

The latest figures, for 2008/9, show over £697m was spent on administration, compared to £670m the year before that, a rise of 4%.

This example clearly shows that there must be change. Change for the better of our NHS and change for the future of our Nation. Only by voting for the Scottish Conservatives in May can the Scottish Parliament deliver this change.

More on Nursing Scotland's Future can be found here - http://scottishelectiona.rcn.org.uk/

Bellshill Bobby in Bravery Award Scoop

It's not often enough that one reads a nice positive story that makes you feel happy.

The Motherwell Times today tells us about PC Russell Davidson from Bellshill who is to receive a top national bravery award for his part in a life-and-death battle to search a raging river for survivors of an horrific school bus crash.

Click for story here

Well done Russell!

Put Scotland First - and back the Scottish Conservatives this May

Let's make absolutely no mistake - The Scottish Conservatives are delivering for Scotland.

Because of us, there are over 1,000 extra police on the streets.

Because of us there is a council tax freeze.

Because of us our smallest businesses got a major local tax break.



Because of us there is a new national drugs strategy.

Because of us more help was given to care for the elderly.

Our effectiveness has been acknowledged. At First Minister’s Question Time on 13th January, Alex Salmond said: “I am perfectly happy to acknowledge the Conservative party's support, which was essential in delivering the 1,000 extra police officers.”

Because we are optimistic about the future – we are realistic about the present. So we will tell it like it is - no waffle, just straight talking. We will offer the people of Scotland a real choice in May - more practical and sensible solutions for Scotland.

Once again we shall be pivotal in Scottish politics. Because being asked to choose between Labour and the SNP isn’t a choice - it’s a dilemma.

Over the last four years in the Scottish Parliament we’re the party that’s made the difference – we’re the party that’s delivered for Scotland.

Labour brought us to the brink of bankruptcy. They doubled the national debt and left us with the biggest budget deficit in our peacetime history. We are spending £120 million every single day just to pay off the interest on Labour's debt. That is Labour's legacy.

Labour left the cupboard bare, Labour left the country spent up, Labour left our public services in crisis.

If we don't take steps now to live within our means we'll end up paying higher taxes and face deeper cuts just to pay off our debt. Labour's approach would mean less growth, less investment and fewer jobs.
Alex Salmond and the SNP promised voters the earth to get elected 4 years ago – and have since left a trail of broken promises littering Scotland.

What they did do well was to deliver Conservative policies - because the Scottish Conservatives forced them to do that!

They plan to spend this election fighting for separation – but that was yesterday’s battle, and they lost it. That’s not putting Scotland first – its putting narrow nationalism first.

So, on May 5th the message is clear. Vote Brown for Uddingston & Bellshill and Vote Scottish Conservatives to elect more Conservative List MSPs to continue to deliver for Scotland.

Scottish Councillor defects to Conservatives

As TNS announced via their poll in yesterday's Herald that the Scottish Conservatives are a spent force, today sees a Borders councillor, who was elected as an Independent, join the Tory group on the authority.

Tom Weatherston was voted in to represent Kelso and District on Scottish Borders Council in May 2007.

The Tories were already the largest group on the authority and this move takes them to 12 of the available 34 seats.

The council is run by a Conservative, Lib Dem and independent coalition administration.

Mr Weatherston said: "I feel that being part of a larger group would help me to serve the residents of Kelso better."

The independent group is the second smallest on the authority and its numbers will now fall from five to four.

Mr Weatherston said he particularly admired the "financial rigour" the Tories had brought to the council.

Tory group leader, Carolyn Riddell-Carre, said he would be a "great asset" in "hard times ahead".

"Tom is well respected as a most hard-working councillor with sound judgement and I am delighted to welcome him to the Conservative group," she said.

The other representative groups on the council are the Lib Dems with 10 councillors, the SNP with six and the Borders Party with two.

TNS have never called the Scottish Conservatives right

The Herald today disappointingly carried yet another misleading Poll from TNS claiming that the Scottish Tories support has fallen heavily.

Murdo Fraser MSP, Scottish Conservative Deputy Leader, said:

“Time and time again, TNS have called the Conservatives wrong. A week before the 1999 elections they said we would get 10% of the vote – we got 15.5%.

“In 2003, just two days before the election, they again said we were on 10% - we ended up polling nearly 17%. Unbelievably, just four months later, they produced a poll that again put us at 10%.

“In 2007, it didn’t get any better. Yet again TNS said we would get 10% - yet again we were nearly 7% better off.

“Full scale Holyrood polls from YouGov have shown the Scottish Conservatives gaining seats at this year’s election. And as a commentary on the Conservative-led government at Westminster, consistent polling of YouGov Scottish samples for Westminster places us rather better off than TNS do.

“It’s time TNS started checking their figures – they get it wrong every single time. In the meantime, we will continue to deliver for Scotland, just as we have been doing over the past four years."

Scottish Conservatives commit to keep 1000 extra police for next four years – Salmond forced to agree

Scottish Conservatives have committed to keeping the 1000 extra police since 2007 for the next four years.

The SNP's apparent commitment to do the same is welcome – unlike many of their other promises, they must not break it.

Speaking after FMQs yesterday (13 Jan), Annabel Goldie MSP, Scottish Conservative Leader, said:

"Today in Scotland we have over 1,000 more police officers than we had four years ago and that's because of the Scottish Conservatives.

"If it had been left to Labour there wouldn't be any more police officers at all. If it had been left to the SNP there would be 500 fewer.

"Maintaining these extra thousand officers is a political priority for me and the Scottish Conservatives – not just this year but for the next four years. I welcome the First Minister's apparent agreement today and congratulate him on yet again following a Conservative lead.

"But we have to take his assurances with a pinch of salt. He did after all try to break the same commitment on police numbers four years ago and the SNP's time in office is littered with broken promises.

"When it comes to keeping Scotland safe and protecting our public, Labour is silent, the SNP is soft and the only party people can trust are the Scottish Conservatives."

Those most in need paying the price of SNP’s failures

A YouGov poll carried out for Shelter Scotland and Shelter suggests that 5% of people in Scotland - equivalent to 207,500 - have used credit cards to pay their mortgage or rent in the last 12 months.

It also suggested the number of people forced to move in with family or friends or take on extra work to meet their mortgage or rent payments is much higher in Scotland than the Great Britain average.

Scottish Conservative MSP Alex Johnstone, Shadow Minister for Housing, said:

“It is deeply concerning that the number of people in Scotland who are forced to move in with friends or family is double that of the UK figure, but the fact is that the Scottish Government have slashed the affordable housing budget two years in a row."

The shocking figures come as it was revealed the number of new homes built in Scotland fell by a fifth to just over 16,000 last year, and £95million will be cut in this year’s housing budget.

Johnstone added “They have also spectacularly failed to engage with the private sector in order to provide enough affordable homes. It is disgraceful that those most in need are now paying the price of the SNP’s failures.

“It is vitally important that anyone facing financial difficulties looks closely at their household budget and contacts their creditors and local Citizens Advice Bureau as soon as possible, to discuss the options available.”

Shadow Chancellor gives no reassurance with National Insurance & VAT gaffes

Today's Trivia Question for Alan Johnson:

Which UK tax rate is currently 20%?
a)NI
b)Vat
c)Don't Know

"Why don't you ask if you can phone a friend Alan?"

On the Murnaghan programme on Sky News this morning, Shadow Chancellor Alan Johnson believed that employers’ National Insurance contributions are 20%, more than 50% higher than the actual rate of 12.8%.

Watch the interview here

It would appear that the NI gaffe isn't the only taxing issue Mr Johnson has made a faux pas over this weekend. According to today's Mail on Sunday, just 24 hours earlier Johnson made a basic elementary blunder over VAT: Newspaper article

With this further display of fantasy economics, Labour once again shows that they still offer absolutely no alternative to repaying the £120m PER DAY on the Interest alone on it's debt.

On Mr Johnson's showing, it is easy to see exactly how Labour were unfit in Government and are clearly unfit in Opposition.

You are paying for it, so - Name That Bridge!

Artist's impression


Now, whilst I appreciate that it's now within the Constituency, or even in Central Region, it does however involve £2.3bn of your money!

Labour MSP John Park wants public to name new £2.3bn Forth Road Bridge.

The Mid-Scotland and Fife Labour MSP said, "The new Forth crossing is going to the biggest engineering project in Scotland for a generation and it's only right that the public's voice is heard on what it should be called.

"For some people it may just be that simply calling it the New Forth Bridge would suffice, but given the rich industrial and cultural heritage of Scotland there is no shortage of potential names for the new bridge."

"That's why I've written to the Scottish Government asking their officials to facilitate a consultation with the public so everyone can have their say."

Any suggestions?

Ed Miliband's 100 days of dithering and disarray

Ed Miliband's first 100 days as Labour Party leader have been characterised by dithering and disarray, according to a dossier released by the Conservative Party.

Top dithers cited by the document include backtracking on producing an alternative spending review, leaving a £59bn black hole in his spending plans, dithering over whether to attend the student protests and a TUC rally, and an infamous Today programme interview in which he was unable to define the “squeezed middle”.

Since winning the Labour leadership race in September thanks to union backing, Mr Miliband's first three months as Labour leader have seen serious splits in the Shadow Cabinet on civil liberties, on whether to keep the 50p tax permanent, and on his idea of a graduate tax, described as “unworkable” by Alan Johnson, his Shadow Chancellor.

Conservative Party Chairman Baroness Warsi said:

"Ed Miliband's first hundred days have been characterised by dithering and disarray. No wonder people on his own side are already losing patience with his lack of leadership. After winning off back of the union vote, he's offered nothing but opportunism and a blank sheet of paper on policy."


Click here to download the full document.

Political scare tactics on VAT increase are badly miscalculated

Tomorrow's 2.5% VAT increase, which will raise £13bn towards paying off Labour's legacy of deficit debt, seems to have political opponents across the Nation in a mathematical meltdown.

According to the SNP, the VAT rise could cost Scottish households around £590 a year. http://www.snp.org/node/17581
Of course, issues over potential tax raising has proved to be a bit of a sore point for the Nationalists of late....

On the other hand, Labour leader Ed Miliband said the average family would have to find an extra £7.50 "each and every week", adding up to an extra £389 a year http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12106168

The V.A.T. rise will no doubt be universally unwelcome but sadly necessary, the fire stoked by the media keen to whip the Nation into a frenzy of predictable anti-Government rage.

However, if you go back to the headlines when V.A.T. was reduced from 17.5% to 15% back in 2008 by Labour, the puny amount was hardly noticed by the average shopper, the big stores said it barely increased sales & made little to no difference. No credit was given at all for the modest reduction, only ridicule & criticism.

Lets not forget, former Chancellor Alistair Darling actually wanting to raise VAT to 20% too whilst in office to help reduce his own Government's deficit.

Finally, tomorrow sees 100 days of Blank Paper from Miliband and no alternatives as to how Labour would find the £13bn of cuts required to help reduce Labour's deficit if no VAT increase was implemented. He truly is the Man without a Plan.

Fraser calls for GP walk-in centres trial

The Health of our Nation is not one for political scoring but about those in Government to deliver the best service with the NHS for those who need it.

Having recently tried to make a Doctor's appointment but being told it was going to be three days before I could see any GP at the Surgery, not even my own, it is encouraging that the Scottish Conservatives are looking for ways to combat delays in seeking medical assistance by calling for the SNP Government to trial the use of GP walk-in centres.

Read Murdo's message here

Goldie Grabs the Bull by the Horns at Holyrood

The New Year has barely had time to settle in and the big freeze threatens to hit the Nation again but the gloves are off at Holyrood where Annabel has been ruffling a few feathers by offering her no-nonsense promise to the people ahead of the May Election.

Now, let's not have the usual knee-jerk reaction to Aunty Bella's comments here. I do not - and neither will any of my 67 Candidate colleagues including Annabel herself - think for one minute that we will all be off cavassing in the run up to May 5th knocking on doors and letting rip with a barrage of unsuitable language greeting potential voters.

On the contrary.

These frank and honest comments published in today's Scotland on Sunday by our Leader and indeed others from within the political circuit, will hopefully show that Politicians are in fact also human beings.

Politicians are people too and whilst swearing isn't big and isn't clever, a dose of realism must be taken into account here.

It's maybe time those in politics are looked upon as "not just another politician".

Cameron King of Politician Polls for 2010

Prime Minister and Conservative Party Leader David Cameron has emerged as the population’s favourite politician of 2010 in the YouGov awards.

Leader of the Opposition, Ed Miliband came fourth.

For further details, click this link

Scottish Conservatives call on Councils to suspend parking charges

In a move that is likely to appeal to both retailers and shoppers alike, the Scottish Conservatives have called for Scotland's Local Councils to suspend parking charges in January.

This is a commonsense approach in allowing businesses to recoup lost sales caused by the inclement weather experienced in recent weeks.

Read Jackson Carlaw MSP, Shadow Minister for Transport's statement here

Happy New Year

A warm welcome to 2011 to everyone.

Hope you all have a prosperous New Year.