--- election_year: 2005 party_id: scottish-conservative party_name: Scottish Conservative Party party_leader: David McLetchie political_spectrum: centre-right victory: false government_outcome: opposition sections: - economy - taxation - health - education - housing - immigration - defence - foreign-policy - environment - law-and-order - welfare - democracy-and-constitution - agriculture - energy - devolution - local-government --- # Scottish Conservative Party Manifesto 2005 ## Are You Thinking What We're Thinking? **It's Time for Action** Scottish Conservative Election Manifesto 2005 ## Our Contract with Scotland Conservatives firmly believe that Scotland's best days are still to come. Our country could and should be so much better than it is now. It is being held back by government which is too big, too intrusive and too wasteful. We believe in government which trusts the Scottish people and offers them a secure future in which everyone has the opportunity to shape their own life and to fulfil their potential; government which is in tune with the values of people in Scotland, which strengthens our identity, which promotes personal responsibility and which supports the families and local communities that are the backbone of a strong, secure society. We recognise that people in Scotland are disillusioned with politicians who have let them down. Instead, we offer a clear and specific agenda for national renewal. Our contract with the people of Scotland covers all the issues which affect their lives, whether decided by the Scottish Parliament or at Westminster. Many people think there is nothing we can do about the problems we face. But we can - and will - make a difference. This manifesto sets out our policies on both reserved and devolved matters - those that we will implement at Westminster after this General Election and those we will be advocating in Scotland as we look forward to the next Scottish Parliament elections in 2007. In the Scottish Parliament, we will continue to offer practical solutions to the problems in our public services right up until the next Scottish Parliament elections. We will give patients and parents genuine choice and free our doctors, nurses and teachers to respond to their needs. We will make our police forces more accountable to the communities they serve so that local people receive the policing they demand and deserve. However, we also offer a specific set of proposals in the areas of policy to be decided at the General Election. * We will cut wasteful government spending and give taxpayers value for money. * We will reverse the decision to abolish Scotland's six historic regiments. * We will restore the link between pensions and earnings. * We will negotiate to restore Scotland's fisheries to local and national control. We are determined to restore national control in this area. * We will immediately set a date for a referendum on the European Constitution and campaign for a 'no' vote in that referendum. * And we will bring immigration under control. We believe that this is a contract which will deliver real benefits to the people of Scotland. We are ready to fulfil it. Peter Duncan David McLetchie ## The British Dream I BELIEVE that Scotland could be doing so much better. Scotland has everything going for it. Creative flair, world-beating companies, globally-respected universities, a tradition of tolerance, a love of freedom, a talent for enterprise, a concern for the underdog and the ability to pull together in a crisis. But today the country is heading in the wrong direction. Far too many people are held back from achieving their full potential. A thousand everyday frustrations prevent people from living fulfilled lives. Conservatives know that governments don’t have all the answers. But if they govern with the right values, they can make a real difference. Today, Britain is being governed with the wrong values. Instead of rewarding families who do the right thing, work hard and pay their taxes, Mr Blair’s Government takes them for granted. And after eight years in power, all he offers is more talk. Meanwhile, people worry about infections they might catch in hospitals which are dirty when they should be clean. Parents worry about their children not learning to read and write properly in classrooms which are unruly, not disciplined. In too many communities it is responsible citizens, not criminals and yobs, who walk in fear. Our out-of-control immigration system encourages people smugglers and penalises genuine refugees. And all this has happened despite huge, stealthy increases in taxation. So long as this continues, the people of this country are deprived of the chance to be all they can be. They shouldn’t have to settle for this. At this election there is a chance for us to be optimistic about our future again. Where people have been let down by a Government that has lost touch with them, they can elect a Government that focuses on the things that matter. A Government that acts – and delivers results. A Government that does exactly what it says. We will be ambitious for our country – a Conservative Government will aspire to give everyone the chance to make the most of their lives. We will govern on behalf of the forgotten majority and their values, the people who make up the backbone of our country: people who work hard; save to buy their first home; take responsibility for their families. People who do the right thing should be rewarded, not punished. We will extend choice – Conservatives will give individuals more control over their own money and over the public services we all depend on. We will devolve power from the centre to our communities – Conservatives will trust professionals and enable parents and patients to shape services according to their needs. We will secure the foundations on which all opportunity is built – Conservatives will tilt the balance of the justice system in favour of the victim, and will restore control of our borders. We will settle our relationship with the European Union by bringing powers back from Brussels to Britain. The British people should feel confident that they can get on with their lives while their Government concentrates on tackling the practical problems which matter to them. That is why Conservatives will focus on cleaner hospitals, school discipline, more police, controlled immigration and lower taxes. I’m in politics to give something back to the country which gave so much to me. As the child of immigrants, as a state school pupil, as the first person in my family to go to university, I am driven by a profound sense of pride in Britain. For me the heart of politics is all about people – their hopes and aspirations. People want the freedom, security and opportunity to get on in life. They want the freedom to take the important decisions about their families and to keep more of the money they earn. They want the security that goes with owning your home, saving for your retirement, living in a safe neighbourhood. They want the opportunity provided by a good education and a thriving economy. And they expect fair play. I believe that to be treated equally is a birthright, and that discrimination is wrong. A Conservative Government will govern in the interests of everyone in our society – black or white, young or old, straight or gay, rural or urban, rich or poor. People are tired of politicians who talk and talk but fail to deliver. They’re tired of politicians saying one thing before an election and doing something else afterwards. So the next Conservative Government will not only make a difference: it will be different. Accountability will be our watchword. This manifesto sets out clearly our priorities for what we will do, how we will pay for it, and the values by which we will govern. **People have had enough talk. It’s time for action.** MICHAEL HOWARD ## Value for Money and Lower Taxes A strong economy is the foundation for everything we do in Britain. It provides higher living standards so that people can look to the future with optimism. It creates the jobs we all depend on – enabling families to build their financial independence. It should guarantee our pensions in old age.It provides a safety net for the least fortunate. It is essential in tackling poverty, including child poverty. It pays for our public services – our children’s education and our parents’ healthcare. And it allows us to invest in our nation’s security – defence,the police and border controls. Our economic success over generations has been built on the hard work,enterprise and creativity of the British people. Today, government is spending too much, wasting too much and taxing too much.Britain cannot continue indefinitely to spend more than she is earning without higher taxes or higher interest rates – either of which will harm our economic prospects. If we are to secure our future prosperity,government must once again start to live within its means. The consequences of Labour’s profligacy are now plain to see. Last year average living standards fell for the first time in over a decade – and the poorest 10 per cent of Britons became poorer. We need to change direction. > People who work hard, pay their taxes and do the right thing should be rewarded, not punished. The way in which a government allocates taxpayers’ money demonstrates its values. By going to war on waste and ending ineffective public spending programmes, we will achieve three simple aims. First, we will give taxpayers value for money. We will spend the same as Labour would on the Scottish Executive’s budget and international development,and more than Labour on defence and pensions.But we will save £12 billion a year by 2007-8 by cutting back other expenditure. We will freeze civil service recruitment, remove 235,000 bureaucratic posts,and cut or abolish 168 public bodies at the UK level. Over the period to 2011-12,we will increase government spending by four per cent a year, compared to Labour’s plans (on current trends) to increase spending by five per cent a year. Second, we will avoid further Labour stealth taxes by reducing government borrowing. Of our £12 billion savings, we will use £8 billion to reduce Labour’s excessive borrowing, so that we can avoid the tax rises that would otherwise be needed. Third,we will lower taxes.We believe that people should choose how their money is spent. They should be rewarded for their hard work and be given peace of mind in old age.We will use the remaining £4 billion of our £12 billion savings to cut taxes in our first Budget. Lower taxes promote enterprise and growth.But they also promote the right values. Hard-working families have suffered from Labour’s tax raids on mortgages and marriage, pensions and petrol,buying a home and having a job.We will change direction. Whereas Labour want to make people more dependent on the state,we believe that lower taxes help families build their financial independence and security. For those on low incomes we will retain the minimum wage,together with proposed increases. After a lifetime of paying taxes, we believe people deserve dignity in retirement.Rising council tax bills,which are up by 55 per cent since Labour came to power, have hit pensioners particularly hard. That is why our tax plans include enabling councils across Scotland to cut council tax for everyone by an average of 35 per cent by funding schools directly and relieving council taxpayers of that burden.On top of this,we will give our pensioners a further 50 per cent discount on what remains of their council tax, up to a maximum of £500 per household. These will be permanent discounts funded by central government, not one-off payments. A Conservative Government will increase the basic state pension in line with earnings rather than prices, reversing the spread of means-testing. Over four years, this will increase the value of the pension by around £7 a week for single pensioners and £11 a week for couples – on top of increases in line with inflation.We will also keep all the other benefits that pensioners currently receive, including the Winter Fuel Payment, free television licences for the over-75s,and this year’s one-off £200 payment. The financial security of pensioners tomorrow will be vastly improved by encouraging more saving today. To get more people into the savings habit, we will create a new Lifetime Savings Account in which government contributions top up the money that people save themselves. And we will take a series of steps to strengthen company pensions. We will abolish the rules that stop firms promoting pension schemes to their staff, encouraging employers to make pension schemes ‘opt-out’rather than ‘opt-in’. We will also use the unclaimed assets of banks and other financial institutions to replenish the pension funds of people who lose out when a scheme fails. The best guarantee of future prosperity is a dynamic economy.The growth of China, India and other Asian economies poses a direct challenge to our future competitiveness. New technology and the speed of global capital flows punish the inflexible and the sluggish. We need to reward risk-taking and innovation so that Britain becomes the best place in the world to start and grow a business. As well as keeping taxes low, we must reduce the burdens on business through deregulation. A Conservative Government will restore our opt-out from the European Social Chapter and liberate small businesses from job-destroying employment legislation.We will set regulatory budgets for each department, capping and then cutting the cost of the regulations that they can introduce in any one year. All new regulation will have to have benefits exceeding costs, and regulations will be given ‘Sunset Reviews’ to check that this remains the case. A Conservative Government will end the ‘gold-plating’of EU directives. A Conservative Government will lock in economic stability.We will maintain the independence of the Bank of England in setting interest rates. We will not join the Euro. By keeping the pound as our currency, interest rates will continue to be set to meet the needs of the British economy. As the other major parties are committed to joining the Euro, only the Conservatives can make this pledge. **Lower Taxes** * Value for money * A lower tax economy * Support for saving, dignity for pensioners * Less regulation * A stable economy with low interest rates ## Flexible Childcare and School Discipline It’s not easy bringing up a family in modern Britain. Parents who work hard to give their children the best start in life need a government that is on their side. That means access to flexible childcare and schools with good discipline and high standards. Juggling work and family life can be a struggle. Under Labour, Britain has the most expensive childcare in Europe, and many working families receive no help. Conservatives trust families to make the right decisions about childcare. We will reform the system to increase choice, flexibility and support for working families – for example through the expansion of workplace nurseries. We will provide more flexible maternity pay – giving mothers a choice of whether to receive it over nine months, or a higher amount paid over six months. > What's wrong with a little discipline in schools? During the next Parliament,we will ensure that all working families who qualify for the working tax credit will receive up to £50 a week for each child under the age of five, irrespective of the type of childcare they choose.We will end Labour’s insistence on endless form-filling and enable families to choose between formal and informal childcare. Education enriches lives and provides us all, whatever our background,with the tools to achieve our ambitions. Providing good education costs money – we will match planned increases in spending on education in Scotland and ensure that this funding goes directly to schools. Even more important than extra money,we must get the fundamentals right. Classrooms need to be disciplined environments where children can learn. Teachers must be free to follow their vocation and inspire young minds.Standards must be maintained so that pupils, FE colleges, universities and employers have examinations they can trust.Our education system should encourage excellence and ambition. Today, these basics have been completely neglected. In Scotland last year, an average of 4,600 pupils played truant each day and the latest figures show there is an attack on a member of staff every twelve minutes of the school day. Head teachers are denied the final say on expulsions, and good schools are further punished by being forced to admit disruptive pupils. > Teachers can only teach and children can only learn in a school with good discipline. Half of Scottish 14 year-olds do not meet the government standard for writing and a third do not meet the standard for reading. Conservatives will put the right values at the heart of our education system. We will ensure proper discipline in schools by giving heads and school boards full control over admissions and expulsions.We will not allow a minority to ruin the education of the majority. Instead of disrupting the education of others, difficult pupils will be given the chance to get their lives back on track in second chance learning centres. Schools will be liberated to set their own priorities and budgets. The current proliferation of funding streams will be replaced by a simple system,with funds allocated on the basis of pupil numbers. Money will follow the pupil. Head teachers will then have the freedom to spend money in accordance with their school’s own needs without interference from government, and schools will be free to offer internationally-recognised qualifications alongside Standard Grades and Highers. Many children leave school at 16 because they are bored and because vocational education does not have the status that it deserves.We will end the snobbery that has damaged vocational education.S3 and S4 pupils will be offered greater opportunity to attend further education colleges for skills-based training. As well as cultivating lively minds,schools should encourage good health.Regular PE lessons should be provided in primary schools. We will also ensure that there is enough funding to provide for specialist teachers who can deliver sport,dance and drama for all pupils as part of a wider strategy to improve the health of our young people. Parents know their children best and are increasingly frustrated at not being able to exercise more choice and control over their children’s education.In order to drive up standards in our schools, we will give parents the right to choose the school best suited to their child’s needs,and expand the choice available to them. The number of specialist secondary schools will be increased by using money pledged by the Scottish Executive to extend the community schools programme, and we will continue to support the ongoing development of faith schools.Payments to schools will include a capital element which will make it easier for popular schools to expand and new schools to open. Schools will have responsibility for admissions, good schools will be allowed to grow and support will be given to new schools set up to respond to parental demand.Where councils wish to close a school, parents and teachers will be able to take over its running and receive equivalent per capita funding. Parents will also be able to send their children free of charge to any independent school that offers a place at no more than the cost of a state-funded school. We will pay particular attention to children with special needs. Under Labour and the Liberal Democrats,the dogmatic pursuit of inclusion has led to the closure of special schools and children have suffered as a result. Conservatives believe that schools for children with special educational needs are vital to ensure that all are catered for. We will maintain them where there is a demand and give parents proper information and choice so they can secure the best opportunities for their children. We will restore real choice to higher education by abolishing the £2,000 Labour-Lib Dem Graduate Tax,which is simply a deferred tuition fee,replacing it with a Saltire Scholarship.This will be non-means-tested; available to all Scottish-domiciled students who meet the necessary entrance requirements for their chosen institution; and valid at any UK university. University funding will depend on attracting new students and so excellence will be encouraged. We will also help universities move towards greater financial independence by building up their individual endowments. **School Discipline** * Discipline in class * Rigorous standards * Choice for parents * Greater freedom for schools * No graduate tax ## Better Healthcare and Cleaner Hospitals We believe that everyone has the right to high quality health care, free at point of use,delivered when and where they need it. Record amounts of taxpayers’ money have been spent on the NHS. Yet over one hundred thousand people in Scotland are waiting for treatment,and average waiting times have gone up for both inpatients and outpatients since 1997. More people die each year from infections they pick up in hospitals than on Scotland’s roads. Taxpayers have not received value for money because the NHS has not been reformed. It is too impersonal, too inflexible, too centralised and too bureaucratic to respond to the needs of patients. > The NHS has been too centralised. We should trust local professionals – doctors and nurses. Staff in the health service – from doctors and nurses to porters and cleaners – work hard to deliver world class healthcare. But the system lets them down. > Labour promised us shorter hospital queues - we're still waiting. We have a clear plan of action to cut waiting times and clean up hospitals.We will increase funding,reduce bureaucracy,empower local professionals to run local services and give greater choice to patients. We will match planned increases in spending on health in Scotland and ensure that the money reaches the front line. Centrally set targets for hospitals will be abolished.Patients will be treated according to clinical needs,not government targets. We will give power and responsibility to local professionals. All hospitals will have the freedom to hire staff,specialise and borrow to invest. In response to local demand, hospitals will have the flexibility to increase the number of individual rooms and invest in infection control teams. We will bring back matron, with special responsibility for infection control. We will give patients and local GPs the right to choose the hospital or care provider that is right for them. Funding will follow the patient and go directly to front-line care. Hospitals will be paid according to the treatments they deliver, rather than by centrally-allocated budgets. Small community hospitals which have the support of local patients and GPs will not be closed by bureaucrats. Last year 7,400 people in Scotland without health insurance paid for important operations out of their savings. We believe that making a contribution based on the cost of half the equivalent NHS operation both recognises the tax they have paid towards the NHS and will help further reduce waiting lists. Choice gives people power, a sense of purpose and control. It makes those who offer a service accountable to those who use it. It will give patients the clean hospitals and the shorter waiting times they want, and the kind of choice in healthcare that today only money can buy. We believe that increased choice, combined with extra resources and freedom for local professionals, will enable us to end waiting lists in Scotland. As we live longer and expect more treatment and care to be available at home and in the community, social services will inevitably face greater demands. We will bring health-related social services under the control of the NHS to tackle the problem of delayed discharge and we will give people more control over their social care so that, in conjunction with their GP, they can choose the care best suited to their needs from either the public or independent sectors. We will ensure greater access to NHS dentistry by changing the way in which dentists are paid and offering patients a low monthly payment system to cover against large and unplanned bills. We will introduce health checks for immigrants in order to curb the spread of diseases such as TB and to protect access to our NHS.It is, after all, a national health service not a world health service. People coming to Britain for over 12 months from outside the EU will be required to undergo a full medical test. And anyone settling permanently here from outside the EU will have to demonstrate that they have an acceptable standard of health and that they are unlikely to impose significant costs or demands on Britain’s health system. **Better Healthcare** * Shorter waiting times and cleaner wards * Health professionals freed from political interference * More choice for patients * Support for local health services ## Safer Communities and More Police Ensuring order is the first priority of government. Crime blights lives and ruins communities: it should not be excused, but condemned and punished.That means drawing a clear distinction between right and wrong, and restoring respect, discipline and decent values. Crime today is out of control. A crime is committed in Scotland every 78 seconds. Violent crime, vandalism, drug crime, rape and homicide have all increased since 1997, yet only 140 police officers are on foot patrol throughout Scotland at any one time. No wonder only one in four crimes is recorded by the police. > Our society needs more respect, discipline and decent values. Crime is wrong and should be punished, not excused. Anti-social behaviour – vandalism, graffiti, binge-drinking, threatening behaviour – is a growing concern in all our communities. > Put more police on the streets and they'll catch more criminals. It's not rocket science, is it? It doesn’t have to be that way.Crime can be cut.Anti-social behaviour can be confronted.Communities can and should be made safe for the law-abiding. It requires active community policing and a relentless focus on catching,convicting and punishing criminals. Labour’s centralised control of the police has sapped officers’ morale, increased bureaucracy and undermined public confidence. It is time to change direction.We will fund the recruitment of 1,500 new police officers in Scotland, radically cut paperwork and introduce genuine local accountability through the direct election of police board conveners. Giving local people a say over police priorities will lead to genuine neighbourhood policing with officers based in the locality clearly focused on making our communities safer and better places to live. When criminals are caught they should be punished properly, if appropriate sent to prison, and in every case encouraged to reform their ways.None of these things happens properly today. So, we will end Labour’s early release from prison scheme and provide extra prison places, if necessary, to meet the demands of justice. We will introduce honesty in sentencing by ending automatic early release. Any remission must be limited and earned by good behaviour and participation in rehabilitation programmes. There is much that can be done to improve the justice system – the police,courts and the prison and probation services.But they only pick up the pieces of problems whose underlying causes often lie elsewhere. Our goal is to reverse the drift towards communities that are blighted by crime, where people live in fear. We will deliver safer neighbourhoods where the streets belong to the law-abiding. We will start at school by ensuring proper discipline. We will break the link between drugs and crime by adopting a zero tolerance approach. For example, we will stop sending mixed messages on drugs by reversing Labour’s reclassification of cannabis as a less serious drug,changing it from class ‘C’back to class ‘B’. We will support the social institutions – families,schools,voluntary bodies and youth clubs – that can prevent crime and drug dependency before it starts. A Conservative Government will place the highest possible priority on combating the threat from terrorism. This requires a co-ordinated response right across government,including funding for the intelligence services, training for the emergency services, robust anti-terror laws, controlled immigration and rigorous arrangements for the extradition and deportation of terrorist suspects.That is why we will appoint a Homeland Security Minister to co-ordinate our national response. **More Police** * 1,500 extra police * Less paperwork and political correctness * Prisoners to serve their sentences in full * Zero tolerance of drugs ## Secure Borders and Controlled Immigration Britain has benefited from immigration. We all gain from the social diversity, economic vibrancy and cultural richness that immigration brings. > We welcome people who want to work hard and make a positive contribution. But if those benefits are to continue to flow we need to ensure that immigration is effectively managed, in the interests of all Britons, old and new. This Government has lost effective control of our borders. More than 150,000 people come to Britain every year, a population the size of Dundee. Labour see “no obvious upper limit to legal immigration”. Our asylum system is in chaos.Instead of offering a safe haven to those most in need, the current system encourages illegality. Desperate individuals are forced into the hands of people smugglers and when they reach Britain they are open to continuing exploitation in the underground economy.Only two out of every ten asylum seekers are found to have a genuine claim. Britain has reached a turning-point. That is why a Conservative Government will bring immigration back under control.We have set out a series of practical and considered steps to restore control and fairness to our immigration system. First of all we will take proper control of our borders. We will ensure 24-hour surveillance at our ports, and restore full embarkation controls.Border security is currently divided between seven different bodies reporting to three different cabinet ministers. We believe that the time has now come to establish a British Border Control Police, whose sole job will be to secure Britain’s borders. > It's not racist to impose limits on immigration. We will introduce a points-based system for work permits similar to the one used in Australia.This will give priority to the skills Britain needs. On asylum,a Conservative Government will not allow outdated and inflexible rules to prevent us shaping a system which is more humane, more likely to improve community relations and better managed. So we will take back powers from Brussels to ensure national control of asylum policy, withdraw from the 1951 Geneva Convention,and work for modernised international agreements on migration. Our objective is a system where we take a fixed number of refugees from the UNHCR rather than simply accepting those who are smuggled to our shores. Asylum seekers’ applications will be processed outside Britain. We will set an overall annual limit on the numbers coming to Britain, including a fixed quota for the number of asylum seekers we accept.Parliament will set,and review,that number every year. We are committed to making a continued success of Britain’s diversity. There should be popular consent for further demographic change. And the best way to secure continuing support for future migration is by showing that government has control of our borders. Refusing to set a limit on new migrants is irresponsible politics. Only the Conservatives take this issue seriously enough to insist on a limit,and will introduce the policies necessary to police it. **Controlled Immigration** * Australian-style points system for work permits * Parliament to set annual immigration limit * UK to take fair share of refugees * 24-hour security at ports * British Border Control Police ## Why can't politicians be more accountable? ### Accountability In the real world, if you say you’re going to do something, you do it. And if you fail, you can lose your job. That is accountability. Accountability is at the heart of good government and a healthy democracy. We all know that when people think they can get away with it, they won’t do things as well as they should. > We believe in giving more power to individuals, families and communities. That’s why we’ve published Our Contract with Scotland that sets out clearly what we will do, and when we will do it. And Michael Howard has made clear that ministers who fail to deliver will lose their jobs. Under Mr Blair, the way we are governed has become less accountable, more complex and, ultimately, less democratic. Ministers don’t take responsibility for their failures. The House of Commons has been steadily undermined, and proper reform of the House of Lords has been repeatedly promised but never delivered. The House of Commons needs to be made more capable of standing up to the executive.We will strengthen select committees and make time for proper analysis of all legislation.As part of our drive for efficiency across Whitehall and Westminster we will cut the number of MPs by 20 per cent. We will seek cross-party consensus for a substantially elected House of Lords. Scottish Conservatives have argued in the past for a smaller Scottish Parliament, and we will continue to do so. However, it is our belief that the Scottish Parliament should have responsibility for deciding both its own size and method of electing MSPs. Conservatives believe that the Union of England,Scotland,Wales and Northern Ireland brings benefits to all parts of our United Kingdom. We remain strongly committed to making a success of devolution in Scotland,so that it delivers for the Scottish people and will look to foster good relations between a Conservative Government and the Scottish Executive whoever is in power. But devolution has brought problems of accountability at Westminster. Now that exclusively Scottish matters are decided by the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, exclusively English matters should be decided in Westminster without the votes of MPs sitting for Scottish constituencies who are not accountable to English voters. We will act to ensure that English laws are decided by English votes. We are committed to supporting Northern Ireland’s position within the United Kingdom in accordance with the consent principle.We will continue to work for a comprehensive political settlement, based on the principles of the Belfast Agreement. We will not accept any party into the government of Northern Ireland linked to a paramilitary organisation that holds on to illegal weapons and is engaged in any criminal activity. In the absence of devolved government,we will make direct rule more accountable. ## Communities, Transport and the Environment Scotland draws great strength from its diversity.We are a country of vibrant urban centres, historic towns and an evolving countryside. It is both inefficient and insensitive to local communities to impose uniform control from the centre. We believe in devolving power down to the lowest level so that local people are given greater control over their own lives. Local councils should be accountable to voters.But under Labour and the Liberal Democrats, people’s priorities have taken second place to centrally imposed targets.The cost to local taxpayers has increased rapidly, with council tax levels in Scotland up 55 per cent since 1997.It has been a vicious circle – less representation and more taxation. Conservatives will liberate local government. To strengthen local accountability and democracy, we will move local elections to the mid-point of the Scottish Parliamentary term. We will relax the linking of local authority funding to centrally-determined priorities, giving councils far greater freedom to meet local needs. We will conduct a thorough reform of the planning system to simplify and speed up the process. With greater power for local people will come less interference from central government. And that will enable taxes to be cut further. The most powerful form of devolution is to individuals and families. The Right to Buy for council tenants extended home ownership, transformed many of Britain’s housing estates and expanded our property-owning democracy. Conservatives will continue to encourage the extension of home ownership by increasing the resources devoted to shared ownership and other low-cost home ownership schemes. Empowering individuals also means giving them the opportunity to travel around the country more quickly and safely. A modern economy depends on it. Conservatives will end Labour’s war on the motorist. We will modernise our road network and review all speed cameras to ensure they are there to save lives,not make money. We will bring stability to the rail network, avoiding further costly and inefficient re-organisation. Successful train operating companies will have their franchises extended to allow companies to invest in improved stations,car parks,facilities and rolling stock. A commitment to safeguarding our environment lies deep in Conservative thinking.We instinctively understand the importance of conservation,natural beauty and our duty of stewardship of the earth.We believe that households and businesses should recycle an increasing amount of their waste. Conservatives will preserve vital green open spaces, particularly in our towns and cities, and promote development on brownfield sites. We will relax planning guidelines to encourage much-needed affordable housing for sale and rent on the periphery of rural communities. To ensure Britain plays its part in combating climate change, we will phase out the use of harmful HFCs and deliver greater incentives to make homes and offices more energy-efficient. Through cuts in Vehicle Excise Duty and increased grants,we will significantly reduce the cost of cars with low carbon emissions. A Conservative Government will guarantee the security and sustainability of Britain’s energy supplies. We will do this by supporting the development of a broad range of renewable energy sources. We also recognise that energy efficiency must play an increasingly important role in our energy policy. Conservatives understand the pressures on the livelihoods of those who work in rural areas. We value the diverse nature of our nation and believe in defending traditional liberties. Conservatives will therefore allow time in the Scottish Parliament for a debate on the repeal of the Wild Mammals Act which banned hunting with dogs. Britain’s farmers operate to some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and help to preserve the countryside for all of us to enjoy. We will introduce a scheme to ensure honest labelling of food and stem the flow of expensive new regulation. We will support initiatives, such as farmers’ markets and local food projects, that enable customers to support our farmers. **Communities and Environment** **Housing and Planning** * Extend home ownership * Protect the Green Belt * Reform the planning system **Transport** * A modern road network * Review of all speed cameras * Longer rail franchises **Environment** * Harmful HFCs phased out * Lower Vehicle Excise Duty for environmentally-friendly vehicles * Clear labelling for British food **Accountability** * A stronger Parliament * Make devolution work * Resolve the West Lothian Question We will press for further reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, to make it less burdensome for farmers and taxpayers alike. And we will promote legislation to strengthen and update animal welfare. ## Defending our Freedoms > Obviously the world is more dangerous and we've got to keep up our guard. Britain plays a unique role in the world.We are the only nation that is one ofthe five permanent members ofthe United Nations Security Council,a net contributor to the European Union,a member of the G8, at the centre of the Commonwealth family of nations and a leading member of NATO. We are a global trading nation with interests in every continent. As the world’s fourth largest economy, we have the potential to be a powerful force for good. These durable strengths allow Britain to defend its interests and promote its values across the globe. > We should support our Armed Forces and our foreign policy should serve the British national interest. As a country, we have always been in the vanguard of freedom’s advance, a friend to the growth of democracy, an advocate of the rule of law, a defender of the oppressed and a robust protector of our people’s security. But,under this Government,Britain’s ability to defend its interests and secure valuable freedoms has been undermined.Our Armed Forces, the vital muscle which allows us to punch above our weight, have been allowed to weaken. And our relations with the European Union have been mismanaged in a way which threatens not just British interests,but the capacity of the continent to adapt flexibly to the future. A Conservative Government will strengthen our Armed Forces within NATO by spending £2.7 billion more than Labour on the front line by 2007-8. Those serving in our Armed Forces are vitally important to us, so we must take care of the people most important to them. A Conservative Government will support service families. They deserve decent homes, good schools for their children, and the chance to spend as much time as possible with their families. We will make the Army stronger. A Conservative Government will preserve the six historic Scottish infantry regiments Labour would abolish and improve the supply and procurement of weaponry. We will save warships Mr Blair would scrap. A Conservative Government will support European co-operation on defence but we strongly believe that such co-operation should take place within the framework of NATO. If a Conservative Government ever has to take the country to war, we will tell the British people why. Mr Blair misrepresented intelligence to make the case for war in Iraq,and failed to plan for the aftermath of Saddam Hussein’s downfall.It is nevertheless the case that a democratic Iraq would be a powerful beacon of hope in a troubled part of the world. So we believe that Britain must remain committed to rebuilding Iraq and allowing democracy to take hold. And a Conservative Government will work to achieve peace in the Middle East based on the principle of Israel secure within its borders and a viable Palestinian state. Conservatives support the cause of reform in Europe and we will co-operate with all those who wish to see the EU evolve in a more flexible, liberal and decentralised direction. We oppose the EU Constitution and would give the British people the chance to reject its provisions in a referendum within six months of the general election. We also oppose giving up the valuable freedom which control of our own currency gives us.We will not join the Euro. Instead, a Conservative Government will promote a 21st century vision of European co-operation in which each nation secures the maximum advantage from varying levels of integration. In a reformed Europe, the restrictive employment laws of the Social Chapter will have to give way to more flexible working. We will ensure that Britain once again leads the fight for a deregulated Europe by negotiating the restoration of our opt-out from the Social Chapter. The common policies on agriculture and fisheries are unsustainable,damaging to free trade and conservation,and waste huge sums of money. The CAP needs further and deeper reform. The Common Fisheries Policy has decimated the Scottish fishing fleet and has proved a disaster on all fronts. We believe that our fisheries would be better administered at the national level.We will negotiate to restore national and local control over British fishing grounds.We are determined to ensure national control in this area. We will also build on the success of enlargement,making Europe more diverse by working to bring more nations in,including Turkey. We value Britain’s membership of the European Union, but our horizons extend much further. A key element of British foreign policy under a Conservative Government will be fighting world poverty.We will support further action on debt relief and will work to meet the UN target of spending 0.7 per cent of national income on overseas aid by 2013. Because we believe that British aid programmes are among the best in the world,we will negotiate to increase British national control over our international aid spending. Above all,we recognise that there is a vital thread that links open markets, free trade, property rights, the rule of law, democracy, economic development and social progress.We will use our global influence to champion these principles in the interests of the developing world. **Britain and the World** * No to the Euro and EU Constitution * More and better aid to tackle global poverty * Stronger Armed Forces * Keeping NATO at the heart of our foreign policy ## The Choice at this Election The choice before voters is very clear. They can either reward Mr Blair for eight years of broken promises and vote for another five years of talk. Or they can vote Conservative, to support a Party that has taken a stand and is committed to action on the issues that matter to hard-working Britons. For detailed information visit www.scottishtories.org.uk ## It's Time for Action * Within the first month, we will set a budget to cut wasteful government spending, stop Labour's third term tax rises and lower taxes. * Within the first month, we will set in train 24-hour surveillance at ports of entry. * Within our first week, we will reverse the decision to abolish the six historic Scottish regiments. * Within our first month, we will start to restore the link between pensions and earnings. * Within the first day, we will set a date for the referendum on the European Constitution, in which we will campaign for a "no" vote. £2.50