Tories’ Scottish pledges do little to rattle SNP
The Scottish Conservatives have unveiled their manifesto ahead of the forthcoming Scottish parliament election.
However, their policy pledges, billed as the most family-friendly of any party campaigning in Scotland, have been overshadowed by the increasing poll lead of the SNP over Scottish Labour.
And the Scottish manifesto launch lacked the scale of events in Wales, where the shadow cabinet joined with Welsh assembly members to champion the party ahead of May’s vote.
Launching the Standing up for families manifesto north of the border, Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie said the party was offering the most comprehensive set of family-friendly policies of all candidates.
“The family is the most important institution in Scotland,” she said. “Families teach Scotland’s children how to be good members of society, encourage them to be socially responsible and self-sufficient, and show them how to raise their own families in the future.
“In short, families provide us with our direction and our stability, and teach us right from wrong,” Ms Goldie continued.
Commitments outlined in Standing up for families include more choice over nursery education, help for families to access childcare and support for school buses.
The Conservatives also promise no road tolls or local income taxes, as well as faster and better healthcare, including access to dental treatment.
Ms Goldie pledged: “Scottish Conservatives will stand up for families by helping them with their childcare, healthcare and wealthcare.
“We’ll encourage parents to have more choice over who cares for their children, support local health and dental services, and ensure that families have more money in their pockets.”
The latest opinion polls, however, show sparse support for the Conservatives. A YouGov poll commissioned by the SNP found more than two-thirds of voters do not trust the Tories while only 16 per cent of voters trust them to represent their voice in Holyrood.
Labour have also reportedly been alarmed by recent polls, with the party on course to lose votes among its traditional supporters.
The latest opinion polls suggest the Scottish National Party could edge Labour out of government and form an alliance with the Liberal Democrats to govern the Scottish parliament.
The SNP are poised to double their representation and take up 51 of Holyrood’s 129 seats. Labour are tipped to lose support and emerge with just 44 seats, down from 50 currently.
Labour have formed a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats since devolution in 1999 but are now thought to be suffering from declining popularity at the national level.
