What news from the north?
over at the Blue Blog
:"The Scottish Conservative achievements are there for all to see; 1,000 more police, more help for our elderly, a new national drugs strategy, the abolition or cut in local taxes for our smallest businesses, a town centre regeneration fund to boost our high Streets. A combined package of £234,000,000 for the benefit of Scotland. Constructive politics on devolved issues - but steadfast opposition when the SNP have tried to highjack the agenda for their separatist goals."
TB has been a late convert to the idea of getting into bed with the nationalists while they are a minority government, though it seems to be working. The naive and ridiculously bigoted views that make up an alarmingly high percentage of their membership are deeply worrying and TB was initially sceptical that working with the SNP could benefit the Union. Having said that TB knows a few very charming SNP supporters, he has spent many a merry night drinking with the Jacobites. However, as things stand at the moment, the SNP ship is heading directly for the rocks. Far from advancing their cause, the SNP
As reading between the lines of the Goldie posts says, why shouldn't we prove that we are fighting hard for the electorate and representing their issues in Parliament, all the while taking the piss and highlighting the flaws of the SNP at the same time? The rest of the Parliament has the SNP by the short and curlies and we might as well get the most out of it while we are in a position of strength. It needs to be a two pronged approach though. At the same time as working hard in Holyrood, Cameron needs to be more visible north of the border. Scotland makes up a tenth of the UK population, it's not unreasonable to expect Cameron to spend a day or two a month in Scotland. It's been too long since he has given a high profile speech in public up here and in some of the most marginal seats like Perth and North Perthshire and Edinburgh South, a visit from DC could whip up a huge amount of interest. At least he's heading up for the Scottish Conference in a couple of weeks, something Nick Clegg failed to do for his party.
TB is heading up to Perth to hear Dave speak on the 14th, tempted to throw another conference party...
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4 comments:
"The naive and ridiculously bigoted views that make up an alarmingly high percentage of their membership are deeply worrying"Wild assertions I presume or have you been reading the nuLab spin doctors could I suggest the following read as it makes more sense.
The Scottish Government
The membership of any political party is always likely to be vocal and vociferous; what must be of greater concern is the growing number of supporters that the SNP is attracting...
spot on tb.the snp think it is their chance,but the increase in support is as a result of labour unpoularity and salmond being liked.
the snp are messing up,crime,hospitals,education.it is not policy.
to separate from england to join the euro is absurd.that is the opposite of independece,it is just a dislike of the englishs.
However, as things stand at the moment, the SNP ship is heading directly for the rocks.I wouldn't say that, not when you look at the latest poll which came out on 3/5/2009
Westminster voting intentions (with change in brackets)
Labour: 36% (-4%)
SNP: 32% (+14%)
Tory: 19% (3%)
LibDem: 9% (-14%)
Even with Salmond absent from the "National" news and Cameron's constant exposure the Tory change is still within the margin of error of the poll and the SNP have gone up 14%.
TB has yet to hear one good idea that has been put forward by the SNP, that couldn't be done within the Union structure if they put their minds to it.How about Scotland keeps all its own tax revenues, sets all its own tax rates, gets to set its own energy policy and gets its own seat in Europe for starters?
The rest of the Parliament has the SNP by the short and curlies...Are you referring to Iain Gray and Tavish Scott? I think you're living in a fantasy world if you are.
I always thought that the basic Conservative party philosophy was based on the principles of self-reliance and personal responsibility and that these principles were applied to individuals, to businesses and all the way up to the level of countries.
But it's funny how when independence is mentioned in Scotland that conservatives abandon these principles and demand that Scotland is run and financed from Westminster.
The Scottish Labour cringe is just as evident in the Scottish Conservative party.