George Osbourne welcomed Darling's decision to ditch the "disastrous" plan to increase taxes on foreign profits, but stressed that proposing it in the first place had been "deeply damaging" to UK business.

After a series of U-turns - on the 10p tax rate, fuel duty, Capital Gains tax, Brown's fiscal rules, income shifting, and the taxing of non-doms - George Osbourne called for "strong leadership" to get us through these difficult economic times.

And he asked "After this catalogue of cave-ins, when is the Government going to get a grip?"

"We congratulate Tavish on his election as the LibDem leader. He will have a tough job as he takes over the reins of Scotland's 4th Party, especially since Scottish politics is now a 3 horse race."

Commenting on Tavish Scott's election as Scottish LibDem leader, Scottish Conservative deputy leader, Murdo Fraser said:

"We congratulate Tavish on his election as the LibDem leader. He will have a tough job as he takes over the reins of Scotland's 4th Party, especially since Scottish politics is now a 3 horse race."

Commenting on the YouGov poll published in today’s Sunday Times, Iain McGill said:

“Our continuing task is to create a strong and prosperous Scotland within a strong and prosperous United Kingdom. We realise there are challenges ahead of us but we are confident that any future Conservative administration will develop a relationship of mutual respect with the Scottish Government.

“Previous polls have shown that it is the prospective re-election of Gordon Brown that threatens the future of the United Kingdom. It is Gordon Brown who is deeply unpopular in the four corners of the UK, with David Cameron and Annabel Goldie continually rated much higher [see notes].

“At Holyrood we are continuing to make the difference, having already secured funding for more police, a new national drugs strategy, tax cuts for our smallest businesses and protection of our tartan industry. Other forthcoming measures such as the suggestion of a new Scottish digital channel have long been supported by us; Scottish Conservatives work on an issue-by-issue basis, doing what’s right for Scotland.”

Commenting on the Scottish sample of the latest YouGov survey, carried out for the Sunday Times (14th September 2008), Iain McGill, said:

“For the Scottish Conservatives, these continue to be extremely encouraging findings especially with a General Election less than two years away. It shows that our vote in Scotland is up by over a third since 2005, in line with UK polling. David Cameron continues to be far and away the most popular UK party leader in Scotland. The Conservative resurgence is being felt all over the United Kingdom.

“For Tavish Scott and Nick Clegg, this poll is an absolute disaster. Tavish’s first 'achievement' since winning the leadership of Scotland’s fourth party has been to see support for the Lib Dems slip to just 8% - a staggering 14% behind the Scottish Conservatives. Scottish politics is now a three-horse race. People are responding to our message of hope and positive change.

“Only two parties can form the next UK Government. The voters will have a clear and simple choice; an out of touch, sad and failing Labour Party, or a rejuvenated, relevant and raring to go Conservative Party. A clear choice: Brown and Gray, or Cameron and Goldie.

"Labour has had its day.”

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg slipped up during an interview at the party's conference - when he said the basic state pension was just £30. The true figures are £90.70 a week for a single person and £145.45 for a couple. Mr Clegg later told the BBC News Channel he had got it "spectacularly wrong".

Mr Clegg said he had got it "spectacularly wrong" when he put the state pension at "about 30 quid now".

He had been responding to a caller to a local ITV news show who challenged him to prove he knew how much the state pension figure was.

The true figure is £90.70 a week for a single person and £145.05 a week for a couple.

He was accused by Age Concern of "taking his eye off the ball" over pensioner poverty and Iain McGill, the Conservatives candidate in the Forth Ward by-election said it showed the Lib Dem leader was out of touch.

"Nobody could live on £30 a week, if the Lib Dems think that's the state pension they are living on a different planet"

"Their promise to cut the Child Trust Fund, which would hurt families struggling on modest incomes, is further proof of just how out of touch they are."

The Lib Dems have been stating in their literature that the Forth Ward is a 2 horse race between Labour and themselves, complete with a not to scale graph of a previous general election to "prove" their point.

Of course last year in Forth Ward at the Council election the tired Lib Dems toiled over the line in 4th place, not even collecting 20% of the vote, and well behind the Conservatives.

Iain McGill agrees with David Cameron that we are all paying the price for Labour's economic failure

News - We are all paying the price for Labour's failure

David Cameron has reiterated his support for the financial rescue package, but stressed that “we are all paying the price” for Labour’s economic failure.

In an article in The Daily Telegraph, David wrote, “The role of the opposition in times like this is to make the right strategic judgements for the country and to explain clearly why action is needed.”

“If government action matches those judgements then we should give constructive support, but it is also critical that we stand up for the interests of taxpayers, and set out a credible way forward for the long-term.”

David described it as his “democratic duty” to point out how “badly prepared” our economy is for a downturn and how “vulnerable” we have been left by this Government

“Gordon Brown built an economy on a bubble of private and public debt and we are all now paying the price.”

He outlined our plans to prevent from being so badly exposed in the future, including a new Debt Responsibility Mechanism and an independent Office of Budget Responsibility to ensure that the Government lives within its means.

And he stressed, “I am happy to support the Government when they do the right thing, but the British people need to know that there is a credible alternative to this failing Government.”

The Edinburgh Evening News today reported that Councillors are 'burying bad news' ahead of by-election

STRUAN STEVENSON (Conservative MEP for Scotland)updates Iain McGill on latest developments in Brussels

1. AN EXTERNAL COMMON POLICY FOR ENERGY

If the EU is to develop an external foreign policy for dealing with energy, then the first hurdle we have to overcome is Russia. The Russia of Putin and Medvedev follows a mainly 19th century political strategy. It is trying to recreate its imperial past by continuing on a path first set by Ivan the Terrible and followed by all his successors, of gradual imperial accretion. The Warsaw pact was a high point and 1991-2008 merely a setback and now with the situation in Georgia, the direction is forward once more.  Energy is not the objective, simply one of the tools.  The style is clearly 19th century – great power politics unrestricted. In pursuit of its policy Russia seeks alliances with any oil or gas producing nations that are enemies of the West, like Iran and Venezuela.

The Russian invasion of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in August provided the EU with a clear indication of just how far Putin is prepared to go. Whether or not the Russians had ever planned to occupy Georgia, the EU reaction provided them with some key insights.  I think it was more likely that their objective was firstly to test the reaction of Europe and the US to the use of violence and secondly, to move closer to the BTC (Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan) pipeline to make the point that they can cut it at will, and thirdly to put the Baltic and Caspian states on notice that the Russians are coming back.

They have proved with comfort that the EU and even the USA presently have no stomach for a hot war to stabilise the borders of Russia. In the process they now sit astride the BTC pipeline and have firmly rattled the Balts and Caspians. Mission accomplished.

The subsequent agreements signed by Sarkozy and Medvedev may have stopped the killing and led to the partial withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgian territory. But we are now sitting on a tinderbox, where Russia has recognised the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and stood by while these two territories were effectively ethnically cleansed of Georgians. Russia is also actively distributing passports to citizens of the Crimea, in Ukraine, where it wants to secure its long-term interests in the Black Sea Port of Sebastopol. It is worth remembering that half of all Ukrainians in the east are actually of Russian extraction.  I see Crimea declaring secession from Ukraine some time in the next five years, followed by a rigged referendum – it would not have to be all that rigged – for the return of Ukraine to “federation” with Russia in the five years following, when Putin is once again President.

Putin’s domination of Russian politics and his determination to impose his geopolitical will by the political use of Russia's energy resources, has set the scene for a new power struggle. Europe could be heading this winter, quite literally, for a freezing Cold War. The EU relies on Russia for 45% of our oil and gas. Some of the Eastern Bloc accession states are in an even more vulnerable position. Hungary gets 90% of its gas from Russia. The Hungarian economy could be shut down in mid-winter at the flick of a switch. Russia, meanwhile, earns around $500 billion a year from the sale of oil and gas to Europe. To put it in context, this is more than the entire annual military budget of the US! At least until the recent global financial crisis, Russia was getting richer as the West was getting poorer. On the other hand, Russia also relies on Europe for this income, so its ability to use energy as a political blackmail tool comes at a cost.

George W. Bush famously said that he looked into the eyes of Putin and saw an honest man. John McCain said “I looked into his eyes and saw a K, a G and a B!” But there is no doubt that Vladimir Putin looks back nostalgically to the days of the Soviet Empire. He would dearly like to rebuild Russia as a global player. It is quite clear that Vladimir Putin intends to claim a sphere of influence over the independent sovereign states that once fell under the Soviet yoke. He will not tolerate the idea of those states joining NATO, never mind becoming members of the EU.

His belligerence is backed by threats to cut off energy supplies, as he seeks to bring these countries to heel. The EU response has been weakly to call for sanctions. But even this was deemed to go too far. In the end it was decided to suspend negotiations with Russia on a partnership and cooperation agreement. So Russia invades a neighbour and Europe responds by ending negotiations on a partnership agreement! You couldn't make it up! Why is it that the EU response to aggression always leads down the road to appeasement.

So Europe has potential flashpoints on its borders, in Georgia, Ukraine, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Republica Srpska, Macedonia, Cyprus, the Baltics, Kaliningrad and along the Southern shores of the Mediterranean. Our security in these areas can best be served not by tinkering with the grand concept of a European Army, but through our traditional alliance with NATO. Instead of re-emphasising our support for NATO, we continually seek ways to develop a Common Foreign and Security Policy that would effectively undermine NATO and undermine our long-standing trans-Atlantic alliance.

Russia’s histrionic response to the placing of US ABMs in the Czech Republic is an interesting sign of what really alarms them.  They are not alarmed at the missiles themselves which involve a relatively trivial amount of force, as part of the great encircling route of missiles that stretch from Iran to the USA. What alarms the Russians is the principle of forward defence in action. 

We must stop being weak in the face if Russian aggression. We need to stand up to Putin and we need dramatically to reduce our dependence on imported oil and gas. Only in this way will we ensure the safety of our immediate European neighbours and the stability of our own energy supplies.

It was Napoleon who said "The battlefield is a scene of constant chaos. The winner will be the one who controls that chaos, both his own and the enemy’s." In this uncertain world it is our duty to make sense out of the chaos and to ensure that we control it rather than allow it to engulf us.

FREE ENTERPRISE AND GLOBAL POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES – A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS OR ETERNAL CHAOS?

On Friday 24th October, as part of Edinburgh University’s occasional lecture series, Scots Tory MEP Struan Stevenson will take a controversial look at the effect of free enterprise in a world governed by four political ideologies, all of which are developing at very different speeds.

In ‘The New World Order: Conflicting Political Ideologies in an Uncertain World’, he draws on a number of private conversations with some of the world’s most influential leaders to pose the question - is this model a recipe for success, in which forces unify, or a recipe for eternal chaos?

The lecture will be chaired by Drew Scott, Professor of European Union Studies at Edinburgh University and Director of the Europa Institute. The floor will be open to questions directly after the lecture.

The lecture will take place between 6pm – 7.30pm at Lecture Theatre 175, School of Law, Old College (on the corner of Chambers Street and South Bridge). It is open to members of the public, as well as students, and is free of charge, with doors opening at 5.30pm.

Commenting as the SNP's plans to criminalise responsible adults for the "crime" of buying a bottle of wine in a supermarket came under fire by their own student wing at the SNP Conference in Perth, Scottish Conservative Forth Ward candidate Iain McGill said:

"Day by day the SNP's plans to create a new criminal class are unravelling. Everybody understands the need to tackle alcohol abuse but passing new laws for the sake of it is not the answer. It is just another example of SNP government by gimmick.

"Existing laws are failing - not because they are bad laws, but because they are not being enforced.

"Not enough underage drinkers are being caught and dealt with; few if any licensees ever get into trouble for selling to customers who are already drunk; and those caught selling to underage buyers - even on a repeat basis -  get little more than a slap on the wrist.

"That is where the SNP government needs to put resources. If we cannot properly enforce our existing good laws on age restricted purchases, what is the point of introducing new bad ones?

"Why should a 21 year old man be turned into a criminal if he buys a bottle of wine for his 20 year old wife? What a nonsense.

"So lets get tough on drunken and disorderly conduct on our streets; lets remove the licences from those who sell to underage drinkers; lets prosecute them and the buyers; in short lets make our existing laws work."

SNP and Tax - Conservatives deliver faster tax cuts for small business

"The SNP's local income tax policy is unravelling by the day. To set it at 3p requires a number of increasingly shaky assumptions to come true.

"Instead of trying to introduce a new tax on hard work the SNP should follow our lead and use any savings to cut council tax. Scottish Conservative plans would benefit 100% of Scottish households. 2 million taxpayers would be £150 a year better off. And our older pensioners would get even bigger cuts. Real help in these tough economic times.

"As for the accelerated cuts in business rates for Scotland's smallest businesses, these would not be happening if it were not for the Scottish Conservatives. Faster cuts, taking many out of business rates altogether, was one of the prices that the SNP had to pay for our support of the last budget. It is the Scottish Conservatives who are delivering real help in these hard pressed times."

Tory plans to cut fuel bills by up to £100 per year

People who do not have bank accounts will be able to benefit from cheaper energy deals by up to £100 a year, under Conservative proposals.

Shadow Chancellor George Osborne and Business Secretary Alan Duncan say they will reform Post Office Card Accounts to enable families without bank accounts to benefit from the lower energy and water tariffs offered to customers paying by direct debit.

The Scottish Conservative candidate for the Forth by-election, Iain McGill, is backing the campaign. Iain said:

“Under Conservative proposals, POCA would be reformed so that they can be used for the first time to pay utility bills using the equivalent of a direct debit. This proposal, which has support from leading utility companies, will generate significant savings for energy companies through lower collection costs, which can be passed onto consumers in the form of lower bills.

“The Conservatives have been working with industry to develop this sensible and fair policy.

"This is a significant weapon for attacking the growing pain of fuel poverty. Price rises have hit the poorest hardest. This is a scheme that would target the most vulnerable in a focused and practical way.

“In addition, I will continue to hassle the Labour Government to come clean about its plans for the future of these card accounts, as there are growing fears that the Post Office might lose the contract and in turn be forced to close even more local Post Offices.”

Shadow Chancellor George Osborne said,

"It is deeply unfair that many of the poorest households end up paying more for their energy and water bills because they don't have bank accounts and can't pay by direct debit.

"Our plan, developed with industry, will help people struggling with rising household bills by letting them use their Post Office Card Account to pay their utility bills.

"This fair Conservative plan could cut the energy and gas bills of up to four million people by £100, helping many families at a time when the cost of living is rising fast."

Iain McGill supports calls for cut in National Insurance to help small firms

David Cameron has called on the Government to allow small and medium-sized businesses to defer their VAT bills for up to six months.

David Cameron has called on the Government to allow small and medium-sized businesses to defer their VAT bills for up to six months.

He described small and medium-sized businesses, which employ over 13 million people and turn over £1,440bn a year, as the "lifeblood" of our economy.

And, writing in The Observer, he outlined three areas in which small businesses must be helped:

• Councils must speed up the time it takes to process payments to small businesses who provide them with goods and services
• Banks have got to behave responsibly and "stop the march to mass insolvencies"
• The Government must do everything they can to help small businesses, including scrapping the propose 2p rise in corporation tax

David explained that our plan to allow small and medium-sized enterprises to defer their VAT bills for up to six months would mean a typical business with 50 employees, revenues of £5m and an annual net VAT bill of £350,000 wouldn't have to pay £90,000 to the taxman when the bank has just taken away its overdraft.

Today, the Office of National Statistics has released statistics showing that unemployment in Scotland is up 13,000 on the last quarter and the Fraser of Allander Institute predicted that the recession would be worse felt in Scotland than in the rest of the UK.

Spending our way out of recession won’t work- Osborne

Writing in the Financial Times, Shadow Chancellor George Osborne has warned that Labour are ’sowing the seeds of the next crisis’ by trying to spend and borrow their way out of a recession now.

Mr Osborne’s article goes on to detail many of the poor decisions the Government are taking vis-a-vis the current economic downturn but also notes what the Conservatives would be proposing, action at both national and international level, if currently in office;

• Nothing must be allowed to impede the ability of central banks to deliver a sustained and substantial interest rate cut
• International regulation must be improved- and a new debt responsibility mechanism should be introduced to allow the Bank of England to ‘call time’ on excessive debt across the system
• The position of the IMF must be strengthened
• We need proper regulation of areas of the global financial system that have gone, in effect, unregulated, including credit rating agencies
• Britain needs an independent Office for Budget Responsibility to make sure we fix the roof when the sun is shining

Commenting after the Budget (Scotland) Bill was – finally – passed by the Scottish Parliament, Iain McGill, Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party Candidate in Edinburgh North & Leith, said:

Tax humiliation for SNP

Leith locals in internet revolt over 'Edinburgh' dock name

The Scotsman today reports on Iain McGills campaign, with the local Community Council, to keep Stockbridge local

European Election results for Edinburgh North & Leith

Conservatives force Green Council Tax Rebate scheme

Cameron attacks Brown's plans for electoral reform

Iain McGill hopes new sexual health website proves effective

A message from David Cameron

Dear Iain,

The reputation of Parliament was black enough before the black-out of expenses. Today it's even darker. I have long argued that transparency is absolutely key to re-building that trust. Suspicion and cynicism are instantly aroused by secrecy, so we need to open politics up to the people - especially when it comes to expenses.

When it comes to so called redactions only strictly private information - like phone numbers and bank details - should be crossed out, because there are legitimate security concerns about having this information online. Censorship for any other reason is unjustifiable. This is public money we're talking about - money earned through the hard graft of the millions of people we serve - so it is wrong to try and throw a veil over how it is spent.

So what next? The House of Commons Commission should bring forward the publication of the 08/09 expenses in uncensored form. My Shadow Cabinet are already publishing their current expense claims online, and today I've asked them to go further by including all significant correspondence and receipts.

I have also put all my expenses for the last month online, in full. To go through them click here. We can only move on from this dark time in politics by recognising that people have a right to see exactly where and how public money is spent, because it's clear - there can be no trust without transparency. Anything less than the full truth is just not good enough.

Gordon Brown - caught red-handed

Yesterday Gordon Brown was caught red-handed.

Last week, he said that his government would be "increasing capital expenditure up to the Olympics" - that means spending on things like building more schools and hospitals.

But - as this video shows - these claims are not just controversial, they just aren't true. His own figures show that he plans to cut capital investment not just from now to the Olympics in 2012, but every single year up to 2014.

At Prime Minister's Questions yesterday, David Cameron repeatedly gave the Prime Minister the opportunity to correct this false claim - but as usual he just couldn't give a straight answer to a straight question.

He also repeatedly claims that "in every year in the future public spending will continue to rise". But again, the government's own figures show that once you account for the increased cost of unemployment and the rising interest charges we will have to pay on national debt, total spending will be cut.

This means that Labour's current plans involve significant cuts on the budgets of government departments, and spending on public services.

The Prime Minister may say he wants to restore trust in politics. But by trying to take the British people for fools in this way, his actions are speaking louder than his words.

The division in British politics is not - "cuts versus investment" - as Gordon Brown says, but between a Conservative Party telling the truth about the state of the public finances, and Labour who are failing to be straight with people.

Iain McGill looks back at a week that has left unanswered questions about the release of Mr al-Megrahi.

All he has said is that he was "angry" and "repulsed" by the scenes in Tripoli. Of course he was. So was everyone. Seeing a convicted murderer being treated like a returning hero was disgusting, especially for those who lost loved ones in the tragedy.

But the real questions remain unanswered. To begin with, what dealings has his Government had with that of Libya on this issue? For our part, the Conservative Party will be putting down parliamentary questions to find out.

And most importantly of all, what is Gordon Brown's opinion of the decision to return Mr al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds? David Cameron has made his view clear. It was wrong. I see no justice in affording mercy to someone who showed no mercy to his victims. Others have expressed similar opinions too.

But what does the Prime Minister think? It's not good enough hiding behind the cloak of constitutional convention and saying this is a devolved matter. On a matter of international importance, which has damaged our reputation abroad and undermined relations with our foremost ally, we need to know what the Prime Minister thinks. That is a basic requirement of leadership - a quality which once again Gordon Brown has demonstrated he lacks."

A re-run of the Afghan election should not be ruled out

Alcohol deaths require coordinated response not blanket minimum pricing

Reality has caught up with Gordon Brown

On Tuesday, after months of denying it, Gordon Brown finally admitted that spending had to be cut. So at last he is catching up with reality.

The public spending debate can often get bogged down in the language of deficits, forecasts and balance sheets but it really is this simple: Britain's in a debt crisis. We're borrowing far, far too much money. And unless we cut public spending, we're all going to pay the price - with higher taxes, higher interest rates and lower confidence in our economy for the long-term.

So why on earth has it taken the Government so long to realise this? For months, we've been telling them that they need to get a grip on our national finances. And all across the country, families and businesses have been working out how to trim their own costs and live within their means. But the Government seems to have been entirely asleep on the job.

It didn't have to be like this. On Wednesday, the Conservatives were handed leaked documents from the Treasury. These showed that as far back as April, Gordon Brown's officials were drawing up plans to cut public spending by nearly ten per cent. So all the time that Gordon Brown was adamant in public that spending could continue to rise, in private his figures showed otherwise. He was, not for the first but hopefully for the very last time, taking people for fools.

Add that to the election that never was, the bungling over the abolition of the ten pence tax rate, the evasiveness about the release of al-Megrahi, and we have a Prime Minister who can't be straight with people about what he really thinks.

Budget battle lines drawn - Conservatives oppose tax hikes

Almost every forecaster expects further reductions in spending and at First Minister’s Questions, Annabel Goldie outlined a series of measures - totalling over a quarter of a billion pounds - which would save money without affecting key frontline services.

Iain McGill, PPC for Edinburgh North & Leith says:

“Keeping Scottish Water under state control costs the taxpayer nearly £200 million every year. Abolishing the graduate endowment costs nearly £20 million every year. And we simply cannot justify stripping £40 million every year from our vital health budget so that people who can afford to pay for prescriptions get them for free. Alex Salmond rejected every one of these suggestions.

“The battle lines are already being drawn in this budget, between those parties that want tax rises and those who want to ease the burden on hard working families.

“The Liberal Democrats and Labour want Council Tax to rise. Tavish Scott said so at First Minister’s Questions and David Whitton said so on BBC Radio Scotland on Wednesday night.

“The Glasgow Airport Rail Link is another casualty of Labour’s cuts, and it won’t be the last given the mess the public finances are in. We cannot avoid reductions in spending but we can try to ensure that their impact is minimised. We will fight any attempt to deal with Labour’s cuts by increasing Council Tax or business rates.”

SNP should be ashamed of misleading class sizes policy

Party Conference Season

From Bournemouth to Brighton, the conference season rolls on. This week, the Labour Party will meet for its annual conference. I expect Gordon Brown's speech will be stuffed full of statistics about how he's saving the world. But here are the facts which really matter in Britain today.

This country is in the worst mess it's been in for a generation. Unemployment is rising and youth unemployment is at its highest level since records began. Violent crime has increased by 70 per cent under Labour and there are more than 100 serious knife crimes every day. The poor are getting poorer, social mobility has stalled, and four in ten children are leaving primary school unable to read, write and add up properly.

And while all this is happening, the Government is borrowing money at a rate of around £6,000 every second. That's something to think about when Gordon Brown delivers his speech. Last year, Gordon's conference speech lasted 58 minutes. If he speaks for as long this year, we'll have wracked up about another £20 million of debt in the same time.

These are the facts and this is the record of twelve years of spin, irresponsibility and top-down state control. And increasingly, it's clear: if you want to see a real long-term plan for change in this country, and a Party with the guts and the determination to see this crisis through, you'll have to wait for our conference in Manchester next week.

Iain McGill, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC) for Edinburgh North & Leith, has pledged to do his bit for the British Armed Forces family.

Iain McGill, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC) for Edinburgh North & Leith, has pledged to do his bit for the British Armed Forces family.

Iain McGill met with representatives from The Royal British Legion at the recent Conservative party conference in where he was presented with a copy of the Legion’s manifesto for the next general election. 

The manifesto sets out priorities for the next Government to improve conditions for the British Armed Forces past and present and their families. It encourages MPs and prospective parliamentary candidates (PPCs) to “do their bit” for Service Personnel and their families, the bereaved, veterans and dependants.

Kevin Shinkwin, the Legion’s Head of Public Affairs, said, “We’re really grateful to Iain McGill for making the time to meet with us and listen to our concerns. Our message to every candidate standing at the general election is very simple: ‘It’s time to do your bit’.

“The entire Armed Forces family needs the support of politicians from all parties,” he added. “Our manifesto outlines practical ways the next government can help, and we hope all the parties will give it serious consideration”.

Iain McGill said, “I was delighted to meet with The Royal British Legion. They have an important role to play in highlighting the needs of the whole Armed Forces family. I have pledged to do my bit and would encourage everyone to do the same by visiting the general election manifesto website – www.timetodoyourbit.org.uk - to find out more.”

David Cameron's Speech to the Conservative Party Conference

Speaking on Monday 5th October at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, Annabel Goldie MSP, Scottish Conservative Leader, said:

 “Labour are fighting the wars of the past because they are losing the battles of the present. But I want to talk about Scotland and Britain’s future, I want to offer optimism and hope. The Conservative party has new ideas, new policies – solutions to problems. We’ve got something to offer while Jim Murphy and Iain Gray are policy free zones and relentlessly negative.

 “Labour is devoid of any new ideas, devoid of hope, devoid of direction. So much for the moral compass – just look where that has led us.

 “It is the Conservative party which is in touch with what people want in Scotland. We are making a difference. We are worth voting for. We believe people should be in charge of their own lives – we do not believe politicians should be telling people what to do. We believe in spending taxpayers’ money wisely, we do not believe in shortchanging people with populist policies. We believe in Britain, not narrow nationalism. We believe in honesty and responsibility, integrity and accountability.

 “And that is why we need a British General Election as soon as possible. We need to restore faith in British politics. We need to sort out the country’s finances. We need a Government that offers a fresh approach, provides solutions and above all else gives hope and optimism. In short we need David Cameron as Britain’s Prime Minister.

 “And that is why we need to fix the broken politics between the British Government and the Scottish Government. Prime Minister Gordon Brown and First Minister Alex Salmond not meeting each other for nearly a year as Labour’s recession gripped the country is not how devolution was meant to work.

 “And that is why David Cameron has given a personal commitment to be a Prime Minister for the whole of the UK. To the people who scaremonger and say that the Conservatives winning the British General Election would be bad for Scotland I say absolute rubbish. Utter nonsense. David Cameron has pledged to come to Scotland for a meeting with the First Minister within a week of becoming Prime Minister if he is elected. David Cameron has pledged a relationship of mutual respect between our British and Scottish Governments. If he is elected Prime Minister he would host an annual Council of Nations with all the devolved First Ministers - Governing for Britain. Replacing the politics of grudge and grievance with the politics of hope and optimism. Far from damaging Scotland, David Cameron as Prime Minister would help to secure Scotland from the SNP threat.

 “And we have proved in Scotland that the Conservatives can provide leadership, help and hope in these tough times. For the first time since 1997 Conservative policies are being delivered. We forced the SNP Government to cut or abolish business rates for 150,000 small businesses. And this was done responsibly - it was funded by spending less in other areas. According to the FSB nearly 19,000 of these businesses were saved from going under as a direct result of Conservative help.

 “But we need to do more to get us through Labour’s jobs’ crisis. We’ve got to play our role in Scotland. For too long Scotland has lagged behind the rest of the UK and other countries in creating new businesses. I want to change that. I want to turn Scotland into a real enterprise country, and I want every level of Government to play its part in creating jobs.

 “So today I can announce that - the Scottish Conservatives will incentivise Scottish Councils to encourage new business start ups to help local economies grow. For every new business created above a set target, local authorities will share in our new Business Dividend Fund. Incentives for growth, new ideas to boost the Scottish economy, real policies, real solutions, real hope.

 “And it is the Conservatives who are providing the financial responsibility and honesty so desparately needed in the Scottish Parliament. Labour, the Lib Dems and the SNP – the cosy coalition of the left - all love to spend money but buckle when it comes to making the tough decisions. 

 “Well the Conservatives don’t buckle.

 “When the SNP decided to take tens of millions of pounds out of the NHS in Scotland by scrapping prescription charges for people who CAN afford to pay we were the only party to stand up and vote against it. The young, the old and people who can’t afford these charges already get their prescriptions free and that is how it should be.  But why should Alex Salmond on £150,000 a year get his prescriptions free? That's not just wrong, that’s not just politically irresponsible, it’s morally reprehensible. With the money saved we could have hired 2000 extra nurses or carried out 250,000 MRI scans.

 “Only the Conservatives have identified real savings in the Scottish budget. ¼ billion pounds worth of savings to be exact. Taking Scottish Water out of state ownership alone would save £150 million a year. That’s a responsible Conservative policy – and let me tell you about a few more.

 “Second chance centres for persistently unruly pupils, more choice for parents in education, more health visitors to give every child the best start in life, comprehensive priority status for our veterans in the NHS, improved treatment of armed forces families,  a freeze in council tax.

 “And there’s more. Oh yes, once we get started there’s no stopping us! Today I can announce -  to support and protect our dedicated and responsible staff in our Scottish NHS we shall bring forward measures to strengthen protection for Whistleblowers. Our doctors, our nurses, our health workers must not be afraid to speak up about anything which compromises patient safety or patient care. We’ll put an end to that fear and in doing so we will raise standards for patients.  The BMA supports our plans. The RCN wants more protection as well. Real policies. Real solutions.

 “And to protect the public and to ensure swift and effective justice I can announce today that the Scottish Conservatives would establish a fast track Community Court in Glasgow. Based on the New York model, criminals would be brought to court quickly, dealt with swiftly and if appropriate made to carry out their sentences immediately. Real policies. Real solutions.

 “Let me tell you what the people of Scotland do NOT want - Independence. I say to Alex Salmond – forget it – your vision of Scotland and Britain’s future is extreme. It is an obsession and it is damaging. We are in the midst of a major recession, people are losing their jobs, the public finances are in a terrible state and you want to make it worse by wrenching Scotland out of a successful and strong relationship with the rest of Britain. Absolutely not. No way. Put aside your extreme views and your narrow separatist agenda and join with the Conservatives in sorting out Labour’s mess.

 “I do not like, nor want, the inward looking, insular Scotland that Alex Salmond is hell bent on creating. As a nation we used to be outward looking and welcoming, now Mr Salmond is changing that. I shall fight tooth and nail against that creeping Nationalism and I shall do all I can to persuade people in Scotland that at this British General Election they should be voting for a British Prime Minister. 

 “And on the point of a British Prime Minister – Alex Salmond I know you are threatening to ban the people of Scotland from watching a TV debate between David Cameron and Gordon Brown. Well I say this to you - you are not standing in this election to become the British Prime Minister, you are not even standing to be an MP. The SNP is irrelevant at a British General Election. However I will debate with you anytime you want. You’ve chickened out of that challenge in the past – the last two leader’s debates in Scotland you didn’t turn up – well it’s time to put up or shut up.

 “The Conservatives in Scotland are determined to play our full part in securing the change of Government we so desperately need – and let me lay it on the line: that means more Conservative MPs from Scottish seats.

 “From the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway to the North East of Scotland, from East Renfrewshire to Edinburgh, more Conservative MPs is what I want. The European election result told us we are winning again and winning in target seats right across Scotland.

 “The real choice at this British General election is clear. Only the Conservatives can replace this tired and failing Labour Government.

 “Voting for the Liberal Democrats and SNP will simply help Labour to cling to power.

 “Britain needs change, and in Scotland and in the rest of Britain, only the Conservatives can deliver that change. Only the Conservatives are offering solutions and policies, optimism and hope. We must continue to fight to persuade more and more people that we are right for Scotland. And I know, in fact I am certain, that we have the ideas and the vision to do exactly that and in David Cameron we have the leader who is capable of delivering that change.”

Just one in ten convicted of domestic violence go to jail

Just one in ten people in Scotland convicted of domestic violence receive a custodial sentence, with the vast majority receiving a monetary punishment or an admonishment.

Bill Aitken MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice, uncovered the figures in a parliamentary answer.

Iain McGill says:

“Just 579 of the 5,029 people convicted of domestic violence in the past year received a custodial sentence. Compare this to the 1,968 who paid a fine, or the 1,467 who were ‘admonished’. Something is wrong here and it shows Scotland is a long way from zero tolerance towards domestic abuse. I will be investigating why the custodial rate is so low.

“Domestic violence can affect anyone and in particular can traumatise any children who witness it. A huge number of domestic violence incidents are never even reported, which makes the situation even worse.

“We need to send out a much stronger message to those who commit domestic violence that it simply will not be tolerated. People will not be deterred if they are not afraid of the consequences.

“This is also another reason why we must continue the fight against those who want to scrap sentences of six months or less. If the SNP and Lib Dems had their way then even fewer people convicted of domestic violence would be going to jail and that is totally unacceptable.”

David Cameron: Salmond is wrong. A Tory win will not help him

Scottish Conservatives make the budget better – again

Conservatives call for "Radical Change" in Education

It's Time for Change - Be Part of It

Lib Dem leader drops a gaffe bomb in Scotland

 “The Liberal Democrats have gone from second place at the last election to a distant fourth in Scotland , and are becoming increasingly desperate as a result. Today Nick Clegg, who only yesterday was talking about a new type of politics, deliberately tried to mislead people on Conservative policies on VAT.  The Conservatives have clearly laid out our plans for the economy, and they do not involve raising VAT.  The Conservatives have no plans to raise VAT.

 “What makes this even more ridiculous is that Vince Cable has repeatedly stated that the Lib Dems are not ruling out rises in VAT. In fact, only last week he said in the live Chancellors’ debate:

  ‘You can’t rule it out but we’re not proposing it and we think actually it’s a cop out because we’ve got to focus on spending which got to levels which weren’t supportable with the level of tax revenue we had.’

 “All this poster shows is how out of touch the Liberal Democrats are in Scotland .  It is no wonder they have gone from second to fourth place.  The Conservatives in Scotland on the other hand are on the up and up.”

Economic Plans

Clearly the uncertainty of a hung Parliament could kill off the recovery and Scotland ’s economy is still very fragile.  A vote for anyone but the Conservatives at this British General Election will ONLY serve to deliver 5 MORE YEARS of LABOUR.  The Liberal Democrats do not offer credible change – they’ve already governed in Scotland and now they are the 4^th party in Holyrood.  Don’t give the choice of who leads and runs Britain up to the politicians.  Use your right to make your own choice.  Every vote cast counts.   If you think it’s time for real change, the only way to vote is Conservative.  This British General Election is the most important we’ve faced in a generation.

Only David Cameron and the Conservatives have the energy, leadership and values to get the economy working for everyone. We need to reward hard work, get Britain making things again, deliver value for money in government and sort out the banks.

We want the banks to work for the people, instead of the people bailing out the banks. And we need to learn the lessons from the financial crisis. Within weeks of the election, a Conservative government will launch the most radical overhaul for a generation in the way that banks are regulated and policed, in order to support the economy and protect consumers. We will:

·        get credit flowing to businesses with large scale government guarantees, building on our proposals for a National Loan Guarantee Scheme;

·        sweep away Gordon Brown’s failed system of regulation an d put the Bank of England back in charge of controlling the overall level of debt in the economy;

·        introduce a new levy on the banks;

·        push for international agreement to separate the riskiest investment banking activities like large scale proprietary trading from ordinary retail banking;

·        create a tough new Economic Crime Agency to crack down on white collar crime and serious economic crime;

·        promote responsible consumer finance with a powerful new Consumer Protection Agency taking over from the Financial Services Authority and the Office of Fair Trading; and,

·        set up a free financial advice service and a free annual financial health check, to help families get their finances on track.

Gordon Brown and the Lib Dems want to stick with the same failed system that got us into this mess. Only a Conservative government will change the system to support the economy and protect consumers.