Tories reveal modest Scottish election ambitions
David Cameron launched the Scottish Conservatives election campaign today with the unusual admission the party would not hold power.
Instead he suggested they would simply represent the everyday concerns of Scots in parliament, accusing Labour of ignoring the “bread and butter issues” in favour of “bone chilling” language.
In a visit to Edinburgh to meet with Scottish leader Annabel Goldie, Mr Cameron unveiled the party’s election campaign, a week before the Scottish Parliament is dissolved in advance of the election on May 3rd.
Conservative would-be MSPs will focus on issues such as drugs and crime, as well as affordable housing, he announced.
At a press conference near Holyrod, Mr Cameron said: “What the Scottish Conservatives offer is a party that will focus on the issues that people care about, the bread and butter issues in Scotland today.
“People in Scotland want Holyrod to deliver on the issues that matter to them in their daily lives – and that is the crisis of drug abuse in Scotland, issues about education, health and housing.”
He accused Labour of ignoring these issues “because of a shortage of bread and butter”. Instead, Scottish Labour had been forced into a debate with the Scottish National Party (SNP) over the future of the union, Mr Cameron observed.
He dismissed the debate as “arcane” and accused Labour of employing “bone chilling language” to warn voters against independence. While backing the union, the Conservative leader did say he would accept a yes vote in a referendum.
Meanwhile, first minister Jack McConnell chose to launch Labour’s election campaign in London.
He met with prime minister Tony Blair today in a united front against the SNP. The pair published a pre-manifesto set of pledges, committing Labour to work together through Westminster and Edinburgh.
SNP campaigns manager Angus Robertson dismissed both parties as “two sides of the same London coin”.
And echoing Mr Cameron’s “bone chilling” jibe, SNP leader Alex Salmond said Labour’s negative election campaign showed they are “panicked and rattled”.
“The SNP are fighting a positive and successful campaign, setting out our plans to lower class sizes, keep healthcare local, tackle crime, and place the future of Scotland where it properly belongs – in the hands of the Scottish people.”
