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.”