The Scottish Conservatives have launched their 2022 local government manifesto with a promise to deliver on voters’ local priorities, not the SNP’s priorities.
Speaking at the party’s manifesto launch in Glasgow, Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross urged pro-UK voters to back the party to deliver local action on local issues.
He said it was “a manifesto that the silent majority of pro-UK voters can get behind to send a message to Nicola Sturgeon for her 15 years of failing Scotland.”
He warned of the risk of SNP-Labour councils that wouldn’t stand up to Nicola Sturgeon.
Labour are in coalition with the SNP in six councils across Scotland, and dozens of Labour candidates in this election are pro-independence or pro-indyref2.
The Scottish Conservative manifesto includes policies such as:
- Business rates-free zones on high streets.
- Cutting council tax for almost a million households.
- A commitment to oppose the SNP’s workplace parking tax.
- A Pothole Action Fund to improve our roads and make driving safer.
- A local tutoring scheme and provide additional support to help pupils catch up from lost learning.
- A fairer deal for local communities with a set amount of the Scottish Budget going to councils each year.
- A local care service to provide a guarantee against out-of-area care.
Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross said: “This election is an opportunity to get all of the focus onto your local priorities – not the SNP’s.
“Scottish Conservative councillors will be totally focused on helping schools to catch up pupils, fixing local roads and protecting local services, all while keeping council tax increases low.
“We will stand up for your community against SNP Government centralisation and put your priorities first.
“Our manifesto includes plans to rebuild local services, help local shops and high streets recover from the pandemic, and restore Scotland’s schools.
“It’s a manifesto that the silent majority of pro-UK voters can get behind to send a message to Nicola Sturgeon for her 15 years of failing Scotland.
“A vote for any other party could lead to a deal that will put the SNP into power in your local area.
“Labour are already in coalition with the SNP in six councils, and the Lib Dems haven’t ruled out working with Nicola Sturgeon’s candidates either.
“Make your vote count by using it for Scottish Conservative candidates who will stand up to Nicola Sturgeon and deliver on your local priorities.”
Notes:
Please see below a full transcript of Douglas Ross's speech at today's manifesto launch.
It’s fitting we’re here in Glasgow today to launch our Scottish Conservative manifesto for the local elections on the 5th of May.
A great city that has been let down by generations of Labour council administrations that took Glasgow and its people for granted for nearly 40 years.
Now Glasgow is being let down by an SNP administration who are allowing rubbish to build up in its streets and who won’t stand up to Nicola Sturgeon, even when faced with cuts to their own budgets.
And this week, Susan Aitken suggested that the terrible twins should come together to form a SNP-Labour coalition here in Glasgow.
Just like they already do in Edinburgh, East Renfrewshire, Dumfries and Galloway, South Ayrshire, Stirling and Fife.
So when faced with these shady stich ups, it’s more important than ever that voters across Scotland are given the opportunity of a real alternative in this election.
A real alternative that will put your local priorities first.
A real alternative that will stand up to the SNP Government hoarding power in Holyrood and fight for a fairer deal for your community.
And that is exactly what the Scottish Conservatives are offering in this local election.
As a councillor myself for a decade before entering parliament, I know the incredible work that local councillors can do for their communities.
And in communities across Scotland, Scottish Conservative councillors have a record to be proud of:
In councils they run, more pupils pass with five Highers in schools.
Bins are collected more frequently and on time.
Drivers make fewer compensation claims for damaging potholes.
And council tax is lower than in local authorities run by the SNP or Labour.
In Aberdeen, a Scottish Conservative led administration was even voted the best run council anywhere in the UK.
Now as we look ahead to the next five years, the manifesto we’re publishing today is an exciting plan that will put your priorities first.
And it is a plan that Scottish Conservative councillors will be able to get cracking on with straight away.
Cutting council tax for almost one million single households – saving them on average over £130 on their bills at this difficult time as we are in the grip of a cost of living crisis.
Funding tutoring and additional classes to help pupils catch up from the pandemic’s two years of disruption.
Fixing local roads with a pothole action fund and scrapping parking charges.
Cleaning up our high streets and town centres, while working with the police to tackle anti-social behaviour and fly tipping.
Opposing the local introduction of damaging SNP Government policies, such as the workplace parking tax, the short-term lets licensing scheme and the tourism tax.
Working with the UK Government to secure vital Levelling Up investment to boost local economies and create jobs.
Ensuring that communities get the final say in local planning developments not SNP Ministers in Holyrood happy to overturn decisions made locally.
And keeping care local by opposing the costly reorganisation of our care system into a national service.
They will do all this while fighting for their communities to get a fairer deal from this SNP Government, which is stripping funding and powers away from local councils.
A vote for Scottish Conservative councillors is a vote for local champions who will be totally focused on your priorities and on your community.
Because this election must be about your local priorities.
The SNP are desperate to make this election about national politics because they have nothing positive to say about their council administrations or about their record in government.
Is it any wonder that Nicola Sturgeon hid from journalists at the launch of her campaign last week.
How could she say with a straight face that an SNP council has been good for people in Govan.
SNP councillors across Scotland have marched to the beat of Sturgeon’s drum over the last five years.
Not raising a word of complaint as their budgets were slashed and local decisions overruled – just filling a chair in the council chamber.
And acting as pawns in the SNP Government’s constitutional games, such as with SNP -led Dundee Council’s refusal to bid for millions of pounds in funding offered by the UK Government.
If an SNP council is elected in your local area in May, then they will do and say whatever the SNP Government in Holyrood wants.
They won’t challenge their own party leadership.
And they won’t put your community before their nationalist obsession.
They will put Nicola Sturgeon’s priorities ahead of your local priorities.
And every other party is prepared to put an SNP administration into power.
The Greens already prop up Nicola Sturgeon’s government in Holyrood and Susan Aitken’s administration here in Glasgow.
Of course, they will want to do more deals with their nationalist coalition partners, to give them the keys to even more of our town halls.
Voting Green will risk an SNP-led administration being put into power in your local area.
Then there is Labour.
As I said earlier, there are already six SNP-Labour coalitions in place in councils right across Scotland.
Whatever Anas Sarwar says in this election, the facts are clear.
Labour have already done deals to put the SNP in power and straight after the election they will do the same disastrous deals all over again.
Right across Scotland, Labour will fail unionist voters.
They say they oppose independence but then stand dozens of nationalist candidates.
They say that they have moved on from Corbyn but many of their candidates still describe themselves as his supporters.
Now Anas Sarwar says there won’t be any deals with the SNP but has also said that the decision won’t be up to him, that it will be for his party’s Executive Committee.
The same Executive Committee who approved SNP-Labour deals in 2017 and threw out Labour councillors in Aberdeen for daring to work with the Scottish Conservatives to build an anti-nationalist alliance.
If Labour were serious about opposing the SNP, then they would be willing to work with other opposition parties to lock them out of power.
The Scottish Conservative position is clear, we will not do any deals with the SNP.
And we will reach any agreement, with Labour or another party, to lock the SNP out of power in our council chambers.
But I am not hopeful. Labour have proven time and time again that they would prefer to do a deal with the SNP than to unite the opposition.
And so, a vote for Labour risks unionist voters being betrayed by a backroom deal with the SNP.
The only party that won’t put the SNP in power and the party able to win seats off them right across Scotland is the Scottish Conservatives.
This election is your chance to demand that the focus be your local priorities not those of the SNP Government in Holyrood.
And there is a clear choice between Scottish Conservative councillors who will put your local priorities first or an SNP council who will put Nicola Sturgeon’s priorities first.
At the last Scottish Parliament election, the Scottish Conservative Party were the only opposition party to move forward.
We delivered a record result and won 100,000 more votes.
Now as Scotland’s second largest party, and together with your support, we can beat the SNP in your local area.
That is the only way to deliver councillors who will be focused on your local priorities.
Focused on the growing attainment gap in your schools.
Focused on cleaning up your streets.
Focused on delivering a fairer deal for your community.
In this local election, vote Scottish Conservative and let’s together get your council focused on your local priorities - not the SNP’s.