08/06/2013

:00:45. > :00:48.Scottish Conservative Party conference in Stirling. The party

:00:48. > :00:55.members are gathering in the Albert Halls, eagerly awaiting the leader's

:00:55. > :00:58.address from Ruth Davidson. She's been criticised for changing her

:00:58. > :01:03.mind on further powers for Holyrood, but she's received fulsome backing

:01:03. > :01:06.from the Prime Minister. And in the Scottish town where many great

:01:06. > :01:07.events have gone down in history, an unusual guest at the feast, the

:01:07. > :01:15.former Labour Chancellor Alistair Darling.

:01:15. > :01:17.Thanks for joining us. With me here in the studio is our regular

:01:17. > :01:20.commentator on Scottish party conferences, Professor John Curtice

:01:20. > :01:30.of Strathclyde University, and our political editor Brian Taylor is in

:01:30. > :01:33.

:01:33. > :01:43.the thick of it in Stirling. Brian, is Ruth Davidson coping with some

:01:43. > :01:47.dissent in the ranks? She seems to be coping with

:01:47. > :01:51.remarkable resilience. She certainly has no intention of stepping down,

:01:51. > :01:57.if that is indeed the intent. I think there is a degree of grumbling

:01:57. > :02:03.and disquiet, rather than an organised attempt at a coup. It is

:02:03. > :02:08.grumbling and this content. Some of it is in express behind-the-scenes

:02:08. > :02:10.and some of it is being put in code, in terms of complaining about the

:02:10. > :02:17.absence of the debate at the conference over her proposal for

:02:17. > :02:22.more powers for the Scottish Parliament. But there is grumbling

:02:22. > :02:27.and disquiet and discontent, because frankly the party, both in UK terms

:02:27. > :02:30.and in Scotland, is not doing that well. They will be content that they

:02:30. > :02:36.are doing relatively well, they would argue, with regard to the

:02:36. > :02:46.referendum. The one who pitted best was Annable Goldie, speaking at the

:02:46. > :02:48.

:02:48. > :02:51.preconference dinner, she criticised the leadership, characterising them

:02:51. > :02:55.as incontinent chill our lives in search of a lamp post.

:02:55. > :02:58.There seems to be some discontent in the street outside, we can see a

:02:59. > :03:08.protest? Yes, I think it is against the

:03:09. > :03:11.

:03:11. > :03:16.bedroom tax. There is a bigger demonstration today than there was

:03:16. > :03:21.yesterday. This is part of party conferences. We are just outside the

:03:21. > :03:26.Albert Halls and the demo is just outside the marquee.

:03:26. > :03:30.John Curtice, Ruth Davidson will speak in a few minutes. What does

:03:30. > :03:35.she have to tell the members in the whole? This almost comes off the

:03:35. > :03:43.back of the conversation you have just had with Brian Taylor. There is

:03:43. > :03:49.grumbling and she has two impose her authority with this speech. -- she

:03:49. > :03:53.has two impose her authority. She has only been an MSP for two years.

:03:53. > :03:58.She's only 34 and she has taken on a substantial task. Almost inevitably

:03:58. > :04:04.there with the indication, given that lack of experience, when the

:04:04. > :04:07.party said, have we made a mistake? She needs to demonstrate a giving a

:04:08. > :04:15.good speech that she does indeed have the qualities that are required

:04:15. > :04:18.of a party leader. She also needs to end what is clearly now something of

:04:18. > :04:23.a muddle about the direction of the party over the question of more

:04:23. > :04:29.devolution. She won the party leadership, backed by, and seemingly

:04:29. > :04:32.herself a member, of the no more devolution camp. Then we discovered

:04:32. > :04:38.a few weeks ago that she was setting up a commission to look at the

:04:38. > :04:43.prospect of more devolution. There has been uncertainty about the

:04:43. > :04:49.progress made by the commission. It has not yet met. This is a divisive

:04:49. > :04:54.issue within her party. If she has decided to jump ship, she needs to

:04:54. > :04:59.jump with a substantial leap, because at the moment, there seems

:04:59. > :05:03.to be a risk that she will fall between the two camps. She has lost

:05:03. > :05:08.the support of those that thought she was a Unionist, and now she is

:05:08. > :05:14.not trying to convince those who want more devolution. The

:05:15. > :05:19.Conservative Party is meant to be coming up with new policy ideas. She

:05:19. > :05:22.is meant to be engaged in great and branch reform of policy. We are told

:05:22. > :05:28.that she will say something about respite for tears, though

:05:28. > :05:34.intriguingly, I think that will cost a bit of money. More broadly, how

:05:34. > :05:38.message to us has been, I want to reduce the size of government. We

:05:38. > :05:43.want to hear how she will plan to deliver that aspect of her strategy.

:05:43. > :05:49.This sounds like a classic politician's bribe. Thank you very

:05:49. > :05:56.much. In the conference hall, Ruth Davidson is going to speak in just a

:05:56. > :06:02.few moments time. She is being introduced by the Conservative MEP

:06:02. > :06:07.at her side. He is giving that introduction just now. That is him

:06:07. > :06:12.speaking. Yesterday, the Prime Minister backed Ruth Davidson to be

:06:12. > :06:15.held. Do you think he is perhaps slightly frustrated at the people

:06:15. > :06:21.who are speaking out against Ruth Davidson? Certainly the Prime

:06:21. > :06:24.Minister, in a well-publicised speech in the first half of last

:06:24. > :06:29.year, indicated that he was willing to contemplate the prospect of more

:06:29. > :06:35.devolution. We were asking, how will the Prime Minister deliver on that,

:06:35. > :06:40.given that his leader in Scotland has said that the sheep be no more

:06:40. > :06:50.devolution? I will just stop you there. Ruth Davidson is taking to

:06:50. > :07:07.

:07:07. > :07:11.the stage. Let's listen to the introduction. I remember that

:07:11. > :07:18.conversation in your flat in Glasgow around the kitchen table. He said,

:07:18. > :07:22.I'd you sure you work with my wife at the BBC? For the last 14 years,

:07:22. > :07:28.you have been our ambassador in Europe, a voice of common sense and

:07:28. > :07:32.a parliament that often lacks that virtue. You have twice been named

:07:32. > :07:39.MEP of the year. But I have found where you started. Here is an old

:07:39. > :07:42.election leaflet that I dug out. This is a rather more freshfaced

:07:42. > :07:49.version of the man seeking to be re-elected to the Highland Council

:07:49. > :07:54.in 1984. He says, in the ten years that I have represented this ward, I

:07:54. > :08:00.have travelled more than 90,000 miles, and dealt effectively with

:08:00. > :08:05.more than 5000 complaints. Nearly 30 years later, I think it is fair to

:08:05. > :08:09.say that you have more miles on the clock. Your dedication to serving

:08:09. > :08:14.all of the people that you have represented through the years has

:08:14. > :08:19.remained undimmed. That is why your help with such high regard, not just

:08:19. > :08:29.across Scotland and in this whole, but you get the grateful thanks of

:08:29. > :08:32.

:08:32. > :08:36.all office in this party. Thank you for your service. Friends, the last

:08:36. > :08:42.few years across the country have been hard, but it is important to

:08:42. > :08:45.remember where we were just three-year Sigel. We were at the end

:08:45. > :08:50.of 13 years of Labour rule and we had the biggest structural deficit

:08:50. > :08:56.of any major economy, even before the financial crisis engulfed the

:08:56. > :09:00.world, our banks had looked up the biggest debts, the economy had lost

:09:00. > :09:04.ground to the emerging powerhouses of China and India. We had a choice

:09:04. > :09:10.as a country, do we deal with the deficit and get the public finances

:09:10. > :09:15.in order, do we face up to the long-term issues, or do we follow

:09:15. > :09:19.the path urged by Labour and the SNP, more borrowing, more spending,

:09:19. > :09:25.more taxes and more debt. This is the approach that got us into

:09:25. > :09:31.trouble in the first place. I know my choice. If we want a country that

:09:31. > :09:36.succeeds, it must be built on firm foundations, not on a yawning budget

:09:36. > :09:40.deficit and the mountain of debt. That is why I am pleased that we

:09:40. > :09:45.have a Conservative led government in the UK that is resolved to take

:09:45. > :09:49.the difficult decisions that will lead us to a better future. It is

:09:49. > :09:52.why I am pleased that we have a Prime Minister in David Cameron that

:09:52. > :09:59.is determined to stay the course and said Britain and the path to

:09:59. > :10:03.stability and future success. Hard decisions in the national interest

:10:03. > :10:09.are being made by the UK Government, and in Scotland, we will soon take

:10:09. > :10:13.our own big decision. 14 months from today we will know the outcome of

:10:13. > :10:18.the referendum on independence. It will be a momentous decision, the

:10:18. > :10:22.biggest of our lifetime. With the signing of the Edinburgh agreement,

:10:22. > :10:28.the UK Government on the vote that will ensure that the voice of the

:10:28. > :10:33.Scottish people is heard. We know that we must visit every home in

:10:33. > :10:37.every street in every town in Scotland. We must explain why we

:10:38. > :10:44.work harder, why we stand stronger and shout louder inside the UK and

:10:44. > :10:49.not separate from it. But if the process of the referendum has been

:10:49. > :10:55.made clear over the last year, then the SNP's case for independence has

:10:55. > :10:58.become ever more confused and contradictory. Once the SNP advanced

:10:58. > :11:02.an independent Scotland signing up to the euro. Now with the Eurozone

:11:02. > :11:06.in crisis they have ditched that commitment and claimed that an

:11:06. > :11:10.independent Scotland would form a currency union and keep the pound.

:11:10. > :11:16.But they have not thought to ask the Bank of England. Blind assertion

:11:17. > :11:20.from the SN he was absolutely no basis in fact. Why would the rest of

:11:20. > :11:26.the UK, a country from which Scotland has just voted to break

:11:26. > :11:30.away, agree to shed its currency? Why would the Bank of England be

:11:30. > :11:35.prepared to act as lender of last resort to an independent Scotland?

:11:35. > :11:38.And even if they were, what can this independence we did leave when

:11:38. > :11:43.Scotland's main economic decisions were dictated to by a Treasury of a

:11:43. > :11:47.foreign power. If Scotland wants to keep the pound, there is only one

:11:47. > :11:57.way to be certain of that, delivering a resounding no to

:11:57. > :12:01.

:12:01. > :12:05.separation in the referendum. Friends, it is not just the SNP's

:12:05. > :12:11.case for a currency that is falling apart. What with independence mean

:12:11. > :12:16.for Scotland's pensioners? The Nationalists say that pensions with

:12:16. > :12:20.a more generous, but leaked government documents show that they

:12:20. > :12:26.doubt the affordability of the pension schemes that currently exist

:12:26. > :12:32.if we go along. As part of the UK, the costs of the pension schemes are

:12:32. > :12:38.spread across the number of taxpayers in the country. The burden

:12:38. > :12:41.would be heavier if it was to follow in Scottish taxpayers alone. No

:12:41. > :12:46.wonder the SNP do not see in public what we know they understanding

:12:47. > :12:50.Private, that even to maintain the existing value of the state pension

:12:50. > :12:55.in an independent Scotland, taxes would need to go up or spending in

:12:55. > :12:59.other areas of social protection would need to go down. Pensioners

:12:59. > :13:05.know that they have a sustainable system in the UK now, and the vote

:13:05. > :13:10.for independence would be a leap in the dark for all of them. What about

:13:10. > :13:13.the future jobs and prospective that we all want to see? Scottish jobs

:13:14. > :13:18.and prosperity depend on thriving businesses. Scotland trades more

:13:18. > :13:28.with the rest of the UK than with the rest of the world combined. What

:13:28. > :13:31.

:13:31. > :13:34.with the shape of an independent Scott and be? What impact would to

:13:34. > :13:39.new different systems of business regulation have on our ability to

:13:39. > :13:43.trade with the best of the UK? These are questions that are vital to our

:13:43. > :13:49.future can make success and upon which, Scottish jobs depend. But

:13:49. > :13:54.there are questions to which the advocates of independence have given

:13:54. > :14:00.no satisfactory answers. Even asking them results in better accusations

:14:00. > :14:05.that we are doing Scotland down. Do we really want to live in a country

:14:05. > :14:11.where legitimate scrutiny is dismissed as unpatriotic? In this

:14:11. > :14:17.sea of some -- uncertainty, there is still one inescapable truth.

:14:17. > :14:21.Barriers to trade stifle business growth, they cost us jobs and they

:14:21. > :14:27.cost us a prosthetic and independence for Scotland would mean

:14:27. > :14:31.greater barriers, bad for business, bad for jobs, bad for our future

:14:31. > :14:35.national disparity. It is not more red tape that Scotland needs to

:14:35. > :14:40.succeed, it is less and the biggest barrier to trade between Scotland

:14:40. > :14:44.and the other three nations in the UK would be about to leave the UK.

:14:44. > :14:48.Our vote next year would be a positive boat, a positive vote for

:14:48. > :14:53.Scottish business, the Scottish jobs, for the economic benefits that

:14:53. > :14:56.come with membership of the United Kingdom. We will be voting to stay

:14:56. > :15:06.in Britain because it is the key to a fairer, more secure and more

:15:06. > :15:14.

:15:14. > :15:19.successful Scotland. Conference, what of our Armed Forces? The Royal

:15:19. > :15:25.Navy, the British Army, they make up the most professional fighting force

:15:25. > :15:32.in the world. I spoke yesterday of seeing their work up close, watching

:15:32. > :15:37.our soldiers patrol the streets in Kosovo. Of securing a nation that

:15:37. > :15:40.had torn itself apart. Of keeping the peace while a country which is

:15:40. > :15:44.experiencing genocide and ethnic cleansing was slowly building itself

:15:44. > :15:49.by and bringing itself back together, turning itself into a

:15:49. > :15:55.modern European nation. Just as I sought then, I believe now. The

:15:55. > :16:03.United Kingdom is a force for good in this world. We owe our service

:16:03. > :16:06.men and women greater debt than we can ever repay. Scottish soldiers

:16:06. > :16:10.have fought side-by-side, shoulder to shoulder with their English,

:16:10. > :16:15.Welsh and Northern Irish brethren generations. Many have paid the

:16:15. > :16:21.ultimate price. We owe it to them, we owe it to them to fight for what

:16:21. > :16:24.they believe in, for what they chose to join, her Majesty 's Armed Forces

:16:24. > :16:30.and this afternoon, we will help launch a new cross-party group

:16:30. > :16:34.campaign for them, Forces Together. I know you will show your support

:16:34. > :16:44.and you will help Alistair Darling get Forces Together after the start

:16:44. > :16:54.

:16:54. > :16:58.it deserves. Conference, if you listen to the proponents of

:16:58. > :17:03.independence, you will hear a vision of a Scotland that is a land flowing

:17:03. > :17:06.with milk and honey, with no hard choices ever needing to be made,

:17:06. > :17:12.where so-called free benefits would exist without question or debates,

:17:12. > :17:14.where we simply ride the rapids of the supposedly never ending oil

:17:14. > :17:22.revenues where they promise you double the sunshine and only half

:17:22. > :17:26.the rain. But it is a virtual Scotland that exists only in the

:17:26. > :17:32.sales pitch of the SNP. It is a vision of the future that demands

:17:32. > :17:37.that we suspend our disbelief and close our eyes to the facts. Where,

:17:37. > :17:41.if you ask them questions, you will be told no lies. I do not doubt that

:17:41. > :17:50.an independent Scotland could survive in the world, we are a proud

:17:50. > :17:55.nation of talented, industrious and creative people. I don't want a

:17:55. > :18:01.future where Scotland simply survives. I want a future in which

:18:01. > :18:11.Scotland succeeds, in which Scotland brochures and that success is best

:18:11. > :18:21.

:18:21. > :18:25.served by renewing our place in our United Kingdom. We all know the

:18:25. > :18:31.economic case for Scotland staying within the UK. There is something

:18:31. > :18:35.else, something deeper, something instinctive. I don't want to have to

:18:35. > :18:41.choose between two different parts of my identity. I am Scottish first

:18:41. > :18:46.and I will always be Scottish first. But that doesn't diminish in any way

:18:46. > :18:50.that I am British, too, and I am proud to be so. Most Scots feel the

:18:50. > :18:55.same. We can and should celebrate the things that make us

:18:55. > :18:57.distinctively Scottish or Welsh or northern errors or English, but we

:18:57. > :19:03.should also celebrate the things that are us together as British

:19:03. > :19:07.which make as stronger and better together. When I cross the border

:19:07. > :19:13.into England, I may feel like I have left home but I don't feel I have

:19:14. > :19:20.arrived in a foreign country and that should be. Around one in six

:19:20. > :19:24.Scots live and work in England. My sister is one of them, a doctor

:19:24. > :19:30.living in Newcastle. 400,000 people here in Scotland were born elsewhere

:19:30. > :19:35.in the UK. Our United Kingdom is a family of nations and with such a

:19:35. > :19:39.remarkable degree of interaction and interdependence between our peoples,

:19:39. > :19:46.the very last thing we need is to divide ourselves internally.

:19:46. > :19:50.Scottish, British, pride to be both. We will fight today, tomorrow and

:19:50. > :20:00.every day between now and the referendum, to defend Scotland boss

:20:00. > :20:07.

:20:07. > :20:15.Mike place in our family. We are the Scottish Conservative and Unionist

:20:15. > :20:18.party. We believe in Britain. But we put Scotland first and in doing so,

:20:18. > :20:24.we seek to ask ourselves to questions. What kind of Scotland do

:20:24. > :20:28.we want to build? What kind of party do we want to be? The choice is

:20:28. > :20:32.clear. We can talk to ourselves as perhaps we have too often in the

:20:32. > :20:35.past or we can have an open and constructive conversation with the

:20:35. > :20:40.people of Scotland about how we can help tackle their fears and hope we

:20:40. > :20:45.can meet their aspirations. We can hold onto the old ways and follow up

:20:45. > :20:51.at slow decline or we can choose to do something about it. We can choose

:20:51. > :20:54.to turn it around. Choose to build a modern Scottish Conservative party

:20:54. > :20:58.that speaks to the aspirations of mainstream Scotland which once again

:20:58. > :21:01.attract the votes of April from every part of the country and every

:21:01. > :21:08.walk of life. I am proud of our party' history but we cannot let in

:21:08. > :21:11.the past. Like you, I believe in our future and the future of Scotland. I

:21:11. > :21:16.believe we must be the agents of change that Scotland needs in our

:21:16. > :21:20.country is to be all we wanted to be. If we want to meet the

:21:20. > :21:24.challenges of today, we cannot endlessly fight the battles of the

:21:24. > :21:30.past. Scotland has moved on and we have to move on, too. And no vote

:21:30. > :21:36.next year will not be about the no change. Scotland wants to change, it

:21:36. > :21:40.needs to change. We are committed to helping deliver it. A Parliament

:21:40. > :21:43.that is more accountable to the people of Scotland, a Scottish

:21:43. > :21:47.government that cannot hide from its responsibilities, a Scotland that

:21:47. > :21:57.stands on its own two feet but doesn't stand alone in the world.

:21:57. > :21:59.Our constitutional meeting will bring forward proposals to improve

:21:59. > :22:03.the current devolution settlement. I am pleased to confirm today that

:22:03. > :22:10.they will be joined by representatives of Scotland'

:22:10. > :22:14.business community, by the chairman of CBI Scotland and by the former

:22:14. > :22:20.dean of the faculty of advocates. But independent advice being offered

:22:20. > :22:25.by constitutional experts, our commission brings together a team of

:22:25. > :22:31.people with a broad range of talents, expertise and experience.

:22:31. > :22:37.Serious people for serious work. Work which will not only help chart

:22:38. > :22:41.a new course for our party, but for our country. We need to find a

:22:41. > :22:45.devolution settlement in Scotland that is stable and that meets the

:22:45. > :22:49.aspirations of the Scottish people. If we secure a win next year, as we

:22:49. > :22:55.are working to do, we cannot find ourselves back here again with

:22:55. > :22:59.another referendum in five years time, in ten years time, in 15 years

:22:59. > :23:03.time. It is time to resolve this, not just for our generation, but for

:23:03. > :23:06.generations to come, and over the months ahead, the decisions we take

:23:07. > :23:13.must lay the foundations for a stable and lasting settlement and

:23:13. > :23:16.union between our formations. We will advance a set of clear,

:23:16. > :23:22.Conservative proposals for a stronger, more accountable

:23:22. > :23:24.responsible Scottish Parliament, serving a dynamic and self-confident

:23:24. > :23:31.Scotland. Proposals that will have our future prosperity at their

:23:31. > :23:35.core. We will pay a constructive part in decisions that are following

:23:35. > :23:39.the referendum. But, as conservatives, we will never forget

:23:39. > :23:45.that Scotland is future success does not lie in the hands of politicians

:23:45. > :23:49.or political institutions, it rests where it always has, in the hands of

:23:49. > :23:54.the people of Scotland. In your hands, in the hands of your

:23:54. > :23:58.neighbours, your family, your friends. We live in a world where

:23:59. > :24:03.some would say there are no longer any role models to look at it. That

:24:03. > :24:10.is not true, I get to meet those role models every single day. They

:24:10. > :24:14.are found on the factory floors across Scotland, in charities. They

:24:14. > :24:19.are the nurses, teachers, farmers. The small businessmen and women who

:24:19. > :24:24.are the lifeblood of our economy. The taxpayers of Scotland who paid

:24:24. > :24:29.with the government and the services it supports. They are the millions

:24:29. > :24:34.of Scots who go to work every day to provide for themselves and their

:24:34. > :24:38.families and those, if they don't have a job, go out to look for one.

:24:38. > :24:42.They are role models to be looked up to, they are decent, hard-working

:24:42. > :24:46.community spirit at people of Scotland. These are the people whose

:24:46. > :24:52.hard graft has built our past success and three whose efforts are

:24:52. > :24:57.future will be achieved. They are the people whose hopes and dreams we

:24:57. > :25:02.must strive to the bill. They were once the bedrock of our party'

:25:02. > :25:09.support. Somewhere along the road, we lost touch with too many of them

:25:09. > :25:13.and they lost trust in us. We are working day by day to rebuild that

:25:13. > :25:19.trust, to burn their support once again. We are listening, we are

:25:19. > :25:24.learning and as a party, we are changing. We are building a platform

:25:24. > :25:29.of policies to meet the aspirations of the people of Scotland. Policies

:25:29. > :25:32.that will put Scotland first and move Scotland forward. Scotland that

:25:32. > :25:35.succeeds is a country where businesses can courage and generate

:25:35. > :25:38.the jobs we need, creating the wealth to pay for our public

:25:38. > :25:44.services, putting the wage packets in the pockets and purses of

:25:44. > :25:48.Scotland's people. That is why we oppose the SNP policies of

:25:48. > :25:53.increasing tax paid on empty shops and levying extra costs in our

:25:53. > :25:58.retail sector. Piling on more tax to business is no way to encourage

:25:58. > :26:05.investment. It is no way to support jobs in the private sector. It is

:26:05. > :26:08.not higher taxes we need in Scotland, it is more taxpayers, more

:26:08. > :26:18.Scots with secure, well-paid jobs, paying their way and providing for

:26:18. > :26:27.

:26:27. > :26:34.themselves and families. It is not just Scotland's businesses that need

:26:34. > :26:38.tax relief, it is the hard-working families, too. When we argue for

:26:38. > :26:41.lower income tax for ordinary Scots, the SNP condemned us and

:26:41. > :26:46.claim that it would cost the Scottish government money that they

:26:46. > :26:52.cannot afford. That speaking about this, it wouldn't cost the Scottish

:26:52. > :27:02.government a penny because it is not their money. If the hard earned

:27:02. > :27:04.

:27:04. > :27:08.cash. -- is the hard earned cash of Scotland's taxpayers and it belongs

:27:08. > :27:14.to them and they will spend it here, here where that spending will

:27:14. > :27:21.help secure and generate sustainable Scottish jobs. The taxpayers of the

:27:21. > :27:31.Scottish government must be used in only one way, to drive down the tax

:27:31. > :27:39.

:27:39. > :27:46.burden in Scotland. We will take action to help businesses complete,

:27:46. > :27:50.to take action to lower the tax burden for families but a truly

:27:50. > :27:55.successful economy doesn't come from nothing. It comes from a well

:27:55. > :27:59.educated, ambitious and aspirational people. Our passion must be to lead

:27:59. > :28:05.a drive for excellence in our schools and to have an intolerance

:28:05. > :28:09.of educational failure. A Scotland that succeeds is one of which every

:28:10. > :28:13.child has an equal chance to get on in life, no matter their background.

:28:13. > :28:19.The drastic example of Scotland's universities and colleges. Scotland

:28:19. > :28:21.universities have a global reputation for excellence, both in

:28:21. > :28:28.teaching and research and our colleges best understand the

:28:29. > :28:34.changing needs and play a vital role in matching the means to local

:28:34. > :28:39.committees. That sector is under attack by a power hungry SNP that is

:28:39. > :28:42.intent on extending the control of the ministers. They are writing a

:28:42. > :28:48.law proposing sweeping new powers for ministers over the management of

:28:48. > :28:57.universities and colleges will stop new powers that threaten their

:28:57. > :29:03.reputations. But it is worse than that, senior figures in Scottish

:29:03. > :29:09.education mean they will see a radical shift in funding. Stripping

:29:09. > :29:12.college funding from the very areas which need it most. The SNP seem

:29:12. > :29:22.determined to run our college sector down and we will fight them every

:29:22. > :29:32.

:29:32. > :29:35.step of the way. I will make this pledge to Scotland's colleges. The

:29:35. > :29:40.Scottish Conservatives will continue to stand up for you and the vital

:29:40. > :29:44.work that you do. But we need to understand something else,

:29:44. > :29:50.conference, that are too many of Scotland's young people, the dream

:29:50. > :29:53.of going to university or college is exactly that, a dream. That is why

:29:53. > :30:00.we have to focus on where the highest prices paid for educational

:30:00. > :30:06.underachievement, with disadvantaged children in underperforming schools.

:30:06. > :30:13.No child, no child should be left isolated by law expectations, trial

:30:13. > :30:16.by literacy, or left to a life of frustration and insecurity. More

:30:16. > :30:21.schools across Scotland provide a good education for their skills and

:30:21. > :30:29.most teachers do their best. There are many that are an inspiration to

:30:29. > :30:34.the children that they teach. But that must not blind us to the

:30:34. > :30:40.problems which do exist or to stop us from taking the steps necessary

:30:40. > :30:44.to overcome failure when it is fine. In Glasgow, just eight cent of 50

:30:44. > :30:51.pupils achieve five good higher grade passes. That is less than half

:30:51. > :31:01.of the pass rates even Stirling. Across Scotland, only 13% of

:31:01. > :31:05.Scotland's pupils reach this gold standard. Research shows that

:31:05. > :31:10.children from disadvantaged families are behind those from better off

:31:10. > :31:14.backgrounds by almost two years. Nearly one third of secondary

:31:14. > :31:19.schools in Scotland's most deprived areas are either weak or

:31:19. > :31:22.unsatisfactory, compared to one tenth in our least deprived

:31:22. > :31:26.communities. We know there is a problem, but the question is whether

:31:26. > :31:35.the Scottish Government is prepared to take the action to deal with it.

:31:35. > :31:39.The signs are not promising. The SNP point smack -- the SNP's Education

:31:39. > :31:43.Secretary claims, we do not have feeling skills in Scotland, we have

:31:43. > :31:48.skills that are coasting. That sounds to me like a distinction

:31:48. > :31:52.without a difference. It sounds like an unwillingness to face up to hard

:31:52. > :31:56.facts because well first-class work is being done in many schools in

:31:56. > :32:01.Scotland serving deprived areas, others are not just coasting, they

:32:01. > :32:08.are feeling. They are failing their pupils and the communities that they

:32:08. > :32:13.serve. It is a failure that we cannot tolerate. For too many, it is

:32:13. > :32:16.the system that fails them, so the system must change. We are clear

:32:16. > :32:24.that more choice and a greater diversity in the way that schools

:32:24. > :32:26.operate should be the cornerstone of educational reform. The existing

:32:26. > :32:32.structure of comprehensive education in Scotland holds too many pupils

:32:32. > :32:36.back. It feels to reflect the individual needs and strengths.

:32:36. > :32:43.Sometimes the most able are held back, and just as often, those that

:32:43. > :32:46.need more help do not get it. We believe that pupils should have an

:32:46. > :32:52.edge -- we believe that pupils should have an early opportunity to

:32:52. > :32:55.decide what kind of educational path they follow. They should have the

:32:55. > :33:01.opportunity to focus on areas where their talents best client which can

:33:01. > :33:04.lead them into the most suitable and rewarding careers. By turning around

:33:04. > :33:10.underperforming schools, it should mean considering other more radical

:33:10. > :33:17.steps as well as. Choice is the greatest driver of excellence to

:33:17. > :33:20.which we must aspire. We will give all parents a route to the better

:33:20. > :33:28.education their children need. We will introduce an opportunity

:33:28. > :33:33.voucher with the value equivalent to the cost of the child's education.

:33:33. > :33:39.Some will say that this will undermine underperforming skills. I

:33:39. > :33:44.think it says something else entirely. It would send the clearest

:33:44. > :33:47.possible message to underperforming skills, improve the education that

:33:47. > :33:57.you provide payments will vote with their feet and choose something

:33:57. > :34:05.

:34:05. > :34:12.better their children. -- for their children. I reject the counsel of

:34:12. > :34:16.despair about some skills simply cannot improve, but if they do not,

:34:16. > :34:19.why should people served by then have to settle for that? The quality

:34:19. > :34:24.of your education should not be decided by your bank balance or

:34:24. > :34:30.where you live. Parents will have a choice over their children's

:34:30. > :34:35.education that they have never had before. We should see educational

:34:35. > :34:40.excellence for every Scottish trial. Scotland's future success demands it

:34:40. > :34:45.and the Scottish Conservatives will settle for nothing less. More choice

:34:45. > :34:50.for our young people over their future career parts, standing up for

:34:50. > :34:58.universities and colleges, action to close Scotland's educational

:34:58. > :35:00.attainment gap. Lifting the tax burden from families and businesses,

:35:00. > :35:04.these policies for an aspirational and businesses, these are policies

:35:04. > :35:09.for an aspirational unsuccessful Scotland. -- and successful

:35:09. > :35:16.Scotland. For many Scots, it is not a question of getting on in life,

:35:16. > :35:22.for too many it is difficult to keep pace. Jobs are less secure. An

:35:22. > :35:26.implied mint is still too high. Scottish parents are facing some of

:35:26. > :35:30.the highs childcare costs in Britain. For some it is like a

:35:30. > :35:37.second mortgage. Getting onto the property ladder is getting harder.

:35:37. > :35:40.The cost of living goes up at the size of the pay packet does not. For

:35:40. > :35:45.too many, future success seems far out of reach because it is hard

:35:45. > :35:49.enough coping with the realities of life day-to-day. That is why we know

:35:49. > :35:53.that a Scotland which truly succeeds must be a Scotland were no one is

:35:53. > :35:58.left hand. It must be a Scotland were those in need content and

:35:58. > :36:04.getting the help they require. We will never lose sight of that fact,

:36:04. > :36:10.that simple fairness. It is why wanting more -- it is why one can

:36:10. > :36:17.make the click of a mention of Scotland's caterers. 660,000 Scots

:36:17. > :36:20.actors unpaid carers. Some of them will be in this hall today. That is

:36:20. > :36:25.a full one in eight of our population. Nearly a quarter of them

:36:25. > :36:32.care for more than 50 hours a week. That is a full-time job for which

:36:32. > :36:39.they receive no pay. It is estimated that carers save the Scottish NHS

:36:39. > :36:45.�7.7 billion every single year. That is three quarters of the total NHS

:36:45. > :36:50.budget in Scotland. 60% of killers are women and most have part-time

:36:50. > :36:53.jobs or are unemployed. Nearly one third of all households with a

:36:53. > :36:58.killer who care for another household member are in the most

:36:58. > :37:01.deprived communities in Scotland. They give up work and forego their

:37:01. > :37:04.own careers, often they give up much of life because it is simply

:37:05. > :37:13.impossible to Mint in a balance between the demands of caring for a

:37:13. > :37:22.loved one and their own leisure time. They do it out of love. --

:37:22. > :37:25.maintained. Unpaid carers are the unsung heroes of communities.

:37:25. > :37:30.Without their selfless sacrifice, the quality of health and care

:37:30. > :37:34.services we enjoy as a nation would not exist. If we do not provide them

:37:34. > :37:38.with the right support, many would be unable to carry on with their

:37:38. > :37:43.caring responsibilities. As a country, we need to do more to

:37:43. > :37:48.support them. We need to ensure that the rights of carers are

:37:48. > :37:53.strengthened and the Scottish Conservatives will. If you are in

:37:53. > :37:56.employment, you get paid holidays, but if you sacrifice your career to

:37:56. > :38:03.care for a loved one and you often work longer hours than people with

:38:03. > :38:06.jobs, you have no guarantee of any time off at all. Scotland's National

:38:06. > :38:14.caterers organisations have identified the right to regular,

:38:14. > :38:21.high-quality short breaks as the top trial date for caterers. -- as the

:38:21. > :38:26.top priority for caterers. The research shows that most caterers

:38:26. > :38:36.have not had a break lasting longer than two days. It is time that

:38:36. > :38:43.

:38:43. > :38:50.Scotland's caterers are given the break that they need and deserve. --

:38:50. > :38:55.carers. I promise that the Scottish Conservatives will give them that

:38:55. > :39:01.break. Everyone in Scotland who provides more than 40 hours of care

:39:01. > :39:06.each week will be entitled to feel weak part -- will be entitled to

:39:06. > :39:15.feel weak's break each year. We will not allow the funding to be diverted

:39:15. > :39:18.to other uses. It will be reserved for this specific purpose. Although

:39:18. > :39:23.not every person would choose to take this break, every single person

:39:23. > :39:28.assessed as an eligible will be guaranteed to do so. How they choose

:39:28. > :39:32.to take that respite will be entirely up to them. They may use

:39:32. > :39:36.the funding to get someone to provide killing cover for a full

:39:36. > :39:40.week or for a series of short weekend breaks. They may take their

:39:40. > :39:45.break at home matches to go away with the person that they care for.

:39:45. > :39:53.The budget will be flexible so that the individual needs of each person

:39:53. > :39:57.Ahmad. They may choose to have cover provided by their local council, or

:39:57. > :40:01.by the private sector. The choice will be theirs to make, because they

:40:01. > :40:06.know best what suits their circumstances, and how best they be

:40:06. > :40:14.fulfilled. Scotland's caterers give so much and so selflessly, it is

:40:14. > :40:19.time that they got the break that they need. Our guarantee will make

:40:19. > :40:29.sure that they get that break, so that they continue to work and make

:40:29. > :40:32.

:40:32. > :40:36.a vital contribution to our society. Conference, policies to help

:40:36. > :40:40.Scottish businesses grow and create jobs, policies to give the next

:40:40. > :40:45.generation the education that you need, and policies to help those

:40:45. > :40:50.most in need. These are among the practical plans to help older

:40:51. > :40:57.Scotland that succeeds. This is the Scottish Conservative Party that we

:40:57. > :41:00.are building, a party in tune with our country, party that takes action

:41:00. > :41:04.and the issues that matter most, a party that could Scotland first. And

:41:04. > :41:08.when we say that we will put Scotland first, we mean all of the

:41:08. > :41:13.people of Scotland, those who have made it in life, and more

:41:13. > :41:19.importantly, those who have not made it yet, but those who want to and

:41:19. > :41:25.need help. We're the party of freedom, and opportunity. We take

:41:25. > :41:30.pride in our country's asked, but what drives us is a desire to build

:41:30. > :41:33.a better future. The Scottish Conservatives want Scotland to

:41:33. > :41:37.succeed and we will work for a Scotland that enjoys success that

:41:37. > :41:42.everyone can sharing. It is a Scotland and a future worth

:41:42. > :41:50.believing in. We know what needs to be done, let's get out there and do

:41:50. > :41:53.it. Thank you. The Scottish Conservative leader,

:41:53. > :41:57.Ruth Davidson, receiving a standing ovation from party members in the

:41:57. > :42:05.Holland Stirling. She praised the UK Government and the type you

:42:05. > :42:10.nationalise. She spoke about doping a modern Conservative Party. She

:42:10. > :42:15.wanted an end to the independence question, and spoke about having an

:42:15. > :42:18.accountable Scottish Parliament with low tax. There was a revolutionary

:42:18. > :42:24.proposal for tax vouchers when it came to revert -- parental choice in

:42:24. > :42:29.education. And of course, that break for caterers, party that could

:42:29. > :42:35.Scotland first. Brian Taylor has just dashed back from the hollow to

:42:35. > :42:39.the marquee. What did you make of that? Strolled

:42:39. > :42:43.elegantly. Give us a quick response. What did

:42:43. > :42:47.you make of that speech? She really socked it to the members, didn't

:42:47. > :42:56.she? I think the intriguing thing is the

:42:56. > :43:01.concatenation of two issues. She is saying that the drive of tax issues

:43:01. > :43:05.should we to cut taxation. She is saying that a no vote in the

:43:05. > :43:12.referendum next year, which she fervently hopes for and expects,

:43:12. > :43:16.should not be no change, and in that context, she says that the changes

:43:16. > :43:20.increasing the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament. She is saying

:43:20. > :43:25.that you require the broader sweep of powers within the Scottish

:43:25. > :43:29.Parliament, fiscal powers, tax powers, not in themselves, but in

:43:29. > :43:36.order for the Conservatives to be able to argue credibly for a

:43:36. > :43:40.reduction in spending agenda. She is pitting those two together. She is

:43:40. > :43:44.putting them in a general framework at the moment, saying that the Lord

:43:44. > :43:51.Strathclyde commission will look in detail at that. She announced some

:43:51. > :43:54.new details on that. This is the issue that is causing disquiet. Some

:43:54. > :44:00.are enthusiastic for that idea and some are hostile, they want to go no

:44:00. > :44:08.farther. They want to go back to the days of the line in the sand that

:44:08. > :44:12.Ruth Davidson previously spoke about. Some are sceptical. By

:44:12. > :44:19.framing it and throwing out some promises of low taxes, she is hoping

:44:19. > :44:24.to get them on board? Yes and trying to stress what it is about, it is

:44:24. > :44:30.not about tax powers in order to suck the people, it is to try and

:44:30. > :44:33.credibly offer a tax reducing agenda. I think she is trying to

:44:33. > :44:42.make a conservative argument for change. It is very important that

:44:42. > :44:46.she is saying that you try to win a referendum, she said you try to head

:44:46. > :44:49.off independence issue almost altogether permanently on to do

:44:50. > :44:54.that, she says you need to enhance the settlement that there is at

:44:54. > :45:02.Holyrood. Professor John Curtice, you also listening to that, what you

:45:02. > :45:10.make of it, it was a strong attempt to reassert authority? Yes, it was a

:45:10. > :45:15.sandwich of a speech. She softened her speech with arguments against

:45:15. > :45:21.Scotland becoming an independent country. Then came what frankly was

:45:21. > :45:24.rather a dramatic passage. It was a very impassioned argument in favour

:45:24. > :45:30.of increasing the taxation powers of the Scottish Parliament will stop

:45:30. > :45:34.saying that in a sense, we do need to change the devolution settlement

:45:34. > :45:38.in order to meet the aspirations of the Scottish public and the specific

:45:38. > :45:43.acknowledgement that the existent settlement doesn't meet the

:45:43. > :45:46.aspirations of that public. We then came to the other end of the

:45:46. > :45:49.sandwich, having come to the rather uncomfortable meet in the middle,

:45:49. > :45:58.which is, do they realise that if we have a more powerful Scottish cup

:45:58. > :46:03.and then we can pursue some radical policies. She actually wishes to use

:46:04. > :46:10.the tax powers in order to say that Scotland explicitly could have lower

:46:10. > :46:14.taxes and the rest of the UK but she also went on to back the idea of

:46:14. > :46:19.educational virtues. The idea that every parent in Scotland will be

:46:19. > :46:22.given a piece of paper to say this is the cost of education of your

:46:22. > :46:26.child, you can take that watcher and get any school in Scotland to take

:46:26. > :46:35.that Boettcher and get educated. That is even more radical than the

:46:35. > :46:43.free school scheme that Michael Gove is introducing the size of the

:46:44. > :46:47.border. It is an indication, it is very radical in the sense that it is

:46:47. > :46:50.conservative of her to be so passionately in favour of more

:46:50. > :46:59.devolution but it is equally radical in saying that the kind of Scotland

:46:59. > :47:02.we want is not part of the social democratic consensus. She wants to

:47:02. > :47:06.put Scotland first but the Scotland she wants to put first is a very

:47:06. > :47:13.traditional Conservative Scotland, rather than the social democratic

:47:13. > :47:17.one. The UK education secretary Michael Gove was in Stirling

:47:17. > :47:22.yesterday to gee up the troops during a rally for the union and he

:47:23. > :47:27.started with some rather interesting football analogies. Thank you for

:47:27. > :47:30.your warm welcome, it is my pleasure to be here among the many friends,

:47:30. > :47:35.old and new, and a particular pleasure to be sharing a platform

:47:35. > :47:40.with Andrew, with race and Annabel. I heard Annabel introducing Raith

:47:41. > :47:46.earlier as our very own special one, but if there is a football manager

:47:46. > :47:56.that Raith reminds me of, I am afraid it is not the Chelsea

:47:56. > :47:57.

:47:57. > :48:01.manager. I think of Annabel as our excursion. Gritty, determined, a

:48:01. > :48:06.winner, a world beater, respected everywhere for her passion and

:48:06. > :48:10.effectiveness. You have done a fantastic job and it is always a

:48:10. > :48:20.pleasure to share a stage with someone who has been as successful

:48:20. > :48:26.

:48:26. > :48:34.and determined and greater Scotland as you have been. If you are so Alex

:48:35. > :48:38.Ferguson, Ruth, that makes you David Moyes. You either handpicked

:48:38. > :48:42.successor, drawn from the same stable with all of the same

:48:42. > :48:46.virtues, great expectations lie on your shoulders but we all know,

:48:46. > :48:51.given the amazing things you have already achieved, that you will be,

:48:51. > :48:54.and have been, a fantastic voice for Scottish conservatism and I have

:48:54. > :48:58.every confidence that under your leadership, we will go from strength

:48:58. > :49:07.to strength whenever any challenge faces us, so congratulations on your

:49:07. > :49:11.leadership so far. We are going to win the referendum next year on

:49:11. > :49:15.Scotland place in the United Kingdom. We are going to win because

:49:15. > :49:20.it is Scottish Conservatives who put forward the most coherent, the most

:49:20. > :49:25.compelling, the most convincing case for our United Kingdom over the

:49:25. > :49:30.years. When it comes to that momentous day next year, when people

:49:30. > :49:36.vote, as I am convinced they will, to keep this kingdom united because

:49:36. > :49:40.we are better together, it will be our victory. It has been our party

:49:40. > :49:43.that has argued the Unionist case and didn't for years and it is our

:49:43. > :49:49.party that is arguing the Unionist case with greater passion than ever

:49:49. > :49:54.before. We will work hard over the months to come but look forward to

:49:54. > :50:00.that day because I am certain that we will be able to celebrate a great

:50:00. > :50:06.victory, a, for partridges, for Britain and it will be a victory in

:50:06. > :50:16.which you will have been fit soldiers who entered that our

:50:16. > :50:19.

:50:19. > :50:25.victory would have been decisive. Alex Salmond 's thinks that next

:50:25. > :50:30.year will be the date pregnant with significance. He thinks somehow that

:50:30. > :50:34.at 700-year-old anniversary will start Scottish hearts. I am sure it

:50:34. > :50:41.will but next year is the anniversary of so much more, is also

:50:41. > :50:46.the anniversary of the First World War when English, Scottish, Irish

:50:46. > :50:52.and Welsh soldiers stood together to defend our freedoms and next year,

:50:52. > :51:02.of course, will also be the anniversary, the 70th anniversary of

:51:02. > :51:06.

:51:06. > :51:14.D-Day. When this country liberated Europe from totalitarianism.

:51:14. > :51:17.Scottish, British, Irish, United under the United Kingdom flag,

:51:17. > :51:23.determined to overcome tyranny, determined to stand up for liberty.

:51:23. > :51:33.That is woven into who I am and Alex Salmond wants to read that aren't.

:51:33. > :51:37.

:51:37. > :51:41.That is not let him. -- let us not let him. He also took time out to

:51:41. > :51:47.talk to article correspondent, Glen Campbell. Is a boat for independence

:51:47. > :51:52.the only way that Scots can get the government they want? Of course

:51:52. > :51:56.not, they can get that in Holyrood I boating for whatever party they

:51:56. > :51:58.believe is the right person to believe that. They can also ensure

:51:58. > :52:03.their voice is heard more effectively in Westminster by

:52:03. > :52:13.ensuring they send someone to the UK Parliament who can stand up strongly

:52:13. > :52:17.

:52:17. > :52:20.for their interests. Scots voted SNP for Holyrood and they got an SNP

:52:20. > :52:25.Scottish government, they would Labour by and large for Westminster

:52:25. > :52:34.and they got a Tory Lib Dem coalition, isn't that the definition

:52:34. > :52:42.of the democratic deficit? If you look at the legitimacy if you are

:52:42. > :52:48.purely looking at votes cast, then it one United Kingdom election at

:52:48. > :52:50.the time. Of course, if you want Labour, vote Labour. There are

:52:50. > :52:53.difficult decisions that will have to be taken at the next general

:52:53. > :52:57.election and one of them will be whether or not we want to stick with

:52:57. > :53:03.David Cameron and the coalition' approach of reducing the deficit,

:53:03. > :53:07.making sure our welfare system is reformed and also making sure that

:53:07. > :53:12.we can eat a country more competitive. We'll be turning our

:53:12. > :53:18.back on that if we vote Labour but that is a choice that Scots,

:53:18. > :53:21.English, Welsh and Northern Irish voters will choose. The one thing we

:53:21. > :53:31.agree on is that whatever party want Scotland to take, that will ensure

:53:31. > :53:37.

:53:37. > :53:40.Scotland is stronger if it remains -- remains in United Kingdom.

:53:40. > :53:45.really important to recognise that the welfare reforms we are putting

:53:45. > :53:55.forward are various popular in Scotland. There are some antique

:53:55. > :53:55.

:53:55. > :53:57.voices on the left but actually, the majority of Scots have had it up to

:53:57. > :54:00.here with people who have been claiming welfare who are not

:54:00. > :54:04.entitled to it. We need to ensure that the welfare state works for

:54:04. > :54:09.hard-working people and that means we need to crack down on those

:54:09. > :54:13.people who do not deserve benefits and ensure that those people, the

:54:13. > :54:17.disabled, the elderly, the genuinely needy get the support they need.

:54:17. > :54:22.Labour are going to cut benefits for pensioners, reducing the winter fuel

:54:22. > :54:25.payments for pensioners, it is the Conservatives who will make sure

:54:25. > :54:35.that those people who have paid into the welfare state get the benefits

:54:35. > :54:39.they deserve. Alex Salmond argues that independence would ally the

:54:40. > :54:43.Scottish parliament and government to take Scotland in a different

:54:43. > :54:49.direction, to try and preserve some of the social protection that we

:54:49. > :54:53.have at the moment that he says you are destroying? He would take

:54:53. > :54:57.Scotland in a different direction, Scotland would have two apply all

:54:57. > :55:03.over again to join in. He would say that he is trying to keep Scotland

:55:03. > :55:09.in the European Union while some in your party by those who propose a

:55:09. > :55:12.referendum and would vote no. doesn't have a leg to stand on

:55:12. > :55:16.because he doesn't have legal advice on this issue and we know the

:55:16. > :55:20.European Union have said to him, if Scotland's needs, it will not be the

:55:21. > :55:29.success of state that remains in the European Union, it will have two ask

:55:29. > :55:35.to come in. He also knows that he would lose jobs because he once any

:55:35. > :55:38.Scotland. It would also mean that he would lose the strength that comes

:55:38. > :55:41.from having the Bank of England underpinning all our natural

:55:42. > :55:49.institutions so Scotland would become a career as a result of

:55:49. > :55:54.independence. He might want to shore up these benefits but he won't have

:55:54. > :55:59.the resources that being in the UK provides. Adult independence is a

:55:59. > :56:07.vote for a pure Scotland. In terms of the EU, do you think the European

:56:07. > :56:10.Union would allow Scotland to end up outside? Absolutely, there is

:56:10. > :56:16.absolutely no guarantee that Scotland, it left the UK, could stay

:56:16. > :56:19.in the European Union. Look at what has been said by European

:56:19. > :56:23.Commissioners. The legal position is perfectly clear, if Scotland that

:56:23. > :56:29.the UK, it would also be leaving the European Union will stop it would

:56:29. > :56:35.have to ask over again it was to enter. I own view is, we are better

:56:35. > :56:40.off in a reformed European union. I am afraid that anyone who thinks can

:56:41. > :56:50.have your cake eat it that you can read up the United Kingdom and stay

:56:50. > :56:54.in European union, only needs to look at what Europe is saying.

:56:54. > :57:04.Let's go back to near the main hall where the Scottish Conservative

:57:04. > :57:10.

:57:10. > :57:13.Party leader Ruth Davidson has made her way to our camera point. You

:57:13. > :57:18.were keen to praise the UK government and criticise the

:57:18. > :57:22.Scottish government but as Unionists tend to do, pick the point that an

:57:22. > :57:30.independent Scotland could survive on its own, so what is wrong with

:57:30. > :57:34.independence? The point I made is that I am ambitious for Scotland, I

:57:34. > :57:38.don't just want Scotland to survive. I want a Scotland but will

:57:38. > :57:42.flourish in the world and I think that is best achieved through the

:57:42. > :57:46.United Kingdom. We can go through all the economic arguments but I was

:57:46. > :57:52.also talking today of arguments of the heart. Highly feeling we can be

:57:52. > :57:56.Scottish and English, hi we want to hold onto our British identity, that

:57:56. > :58:02.part that feels a closeness with her friends and family but that doesn't

:58:02. > :58:05.mean we don't put Scotland first. We are making a full-blooded support

:58:05. > :58:13.and cry to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom. Looking at the

:58:13. > :58:20.economic arguments as well. You have not had your problems to seek over

:58:20. > :58:23.the past week or so over the proposals for further devolution. In

:58:23. > :58:29.the sand has been firmly washed away. It was interesting what you

:58:29. > :58:32.were saying to the members, using the promise of a low tax almost as

:58:32. > :58:38.red meat to the traditional Tories who might be scared of your

:58:38. > :58:43.proposals? We talked about lowering the tax burden on families and

:58:43. > :58:46.businesses in Scotland for some time because that is what we want to do.

:58:46. > :58:54.We are right of centre party, we believe but small effective

:58:54. > :59:00.government. In terms of talking about our future contribution to the

:59:00. > :59:02.constitutional debate, I have set up a commission under Lord

:59:02. > :59:12.Strathclyde. I announced to Commissioners that will join that

:59:12. > :59:13.

:59:13. > :59:17.from the world of business. They will be joining the work of Annabel

:59:17. > :59:24.Goldie and Alex Ferguson, supported by the constitutional experts. These

:59:24. > :59:27.are a serious group of people taking seriously at how we can best create

:59:27. > :59:35.a devolved settlement because the last thing I want is, if we succeed

:59:35. > :59:39.next year, we find ourselves back on the situation in five years time

:59:39. > :59:43.with another referendum and another. We need to find a devolved

:59:43. > :59:53.settlement that is modern and sits all of the UK and that will last

:59:53. > :59:56.

:59:56. > :00:00.into the future. We had open question Time session so that people

:00:00. > :00:03.could ask about the constitution if they wanted. In terms of unofficial

:00:03. > :00:08.debate, you have got to have an official motion and concrete

:00:08. > :00:13.proposals. We will take the concrete proposals that our commission brings

:00:13. > :00:18.back to us to our members. At the moment, their work is not complete

:00:18. > :00:23.and we will let them go on with that. This is a substantial

:00:24. > :00:27.commission that is doing serious work. Where you are running scared

:00:27. > :00:34.in case the leadership were defeated on this, if there had been a proper

:00:34. > :00:41.motion? I saw one tweet from one conservative supporters saying that

:00:41. > :00:45.route is tacking towards devo max? Absolutely not. I have made it clear

:00:45. > :00:50.that I will not tie the hands of Lord Strathclyde. I want rigorous

:00:50. > :00:53.analysis of how we can have a more stable united kingdom. We should not

:00:53. > :00:59.find yourself in a situation where there is one referendum after

:00:59. > :01:03.another. In terms of inviting contributions from our party, the

:01:03. > :01:09.party is invited to make contributions to the commission, so

:01:09. > :01:13.we want the voice of the party to be heard. We have wide-ranging views

:01:13. > :01:18.across the Conservative Party. We want to see all of the views, but we

:01:18. > :01:23.want the commission to do serious work. We wanted to come back away

:01:23. > :01:28.from the seat of the trench warfare we in at the moment, and come back

:01:28. > :01:34.with proper, sensible, rigorous analysis of situation, and how we

:01:34. > :01:38.can have that stable solution going forward. It is interesting how you

:01:38. > :01:43.speak about the pre-devilish and is in the party. You're quite firm with

:01:43. > :01:49.the party members. You wonder the members that they cannot live in the

:01:49. > :01:52.past. Do you feel that these people are dragging the party down?

:01:52. > :02:00.Absolutely not and I do not appreciate people putting words in

:02:00. > :02:05.my mouth. As a party we have had to change. We are changing. Sometimes

:02:05. > :02:09.change can be difficult, but our role as the only centre-right, the

:02:09. > :02:13.only credible centre-right voice in Scotland, is to put forward an

:02:13. > :02:18.economic and social agenda with it -- which meets the aspirations of

:02:19. > :02:28.the people of Scotland. We know that the people of Scotland like devolved

:02:29. > :02:31.

:02:31. > :02:36.government. It is the settled will of the people. We want to see this.

:02:36. > :02:41.Finally, is the appeal of the Conservative Party is still more to

:02:41. > :02:46.the counties set rather than the city set? We are a party that wants

:02:46. > :02:52.to speak to people from all walks of life in all parts of Scotland. We

:02:52. > :02:57.were speaking today about educational and aspirational

:02:57. > :03:00.benefits. We are fighting for the college sector and carers. Carers

:03:00. > :03:05.live in every community in Scotland and they are the bedrock of those

:03:06. > :03:09.communities. The work they do service -- save so much money from

:03:09. > :03:15.the budget of health care in Scotland so that we can all enjoy a

:03:15. > :03:19.better service across Scotland because of the work that they do. We

:03:19. > :03:26.are the only centre-right voice in Scotland, and mainstream political

:03:26. > :03:31.party, and we want to be heard in every town across the country.

:03:31. > :03:35.Carers was one of your key policy announcements. There is also a

:03:35. > :03:39.radical approach to education. Can you explain more about that, it

:03:39. > :03:43.would seem that you were saying that you would give parents vouchers so

:03:43. > :03:48.that they could move their children out of failing schools? Where does

:03:48. > :03:56.that leave the filling skill? accept that there are some skills in

:03:56. > :04:01.our country which are not performing as well as they might? Do we buy the

:04:01. > :04:06.discussion from the SNP's education minister that we do not have schools

:04:06. > :04:13.that fail in Scotland, we just have one sitter coasting? That his

:04:13. > :04:17.failure by another male name. -- that is failure by another name.

:04:17. > :04:23.This is about giving parents the choice to send their children to

:04:23. > :04:27.school that is performing better in the area. We hope that this will

:04:27. > :04:30.raise the educational attainment in the country. It sounds like you were

:04:30. > :04:39.proposing an end to the comprehensive system of education in

:04:39. > :04:43.Scotland. The women whose -- that the woman to close grammar schools

:04:43. > :04:51.in Scotland was Margaret Thatcher. She kept Jordanhill in my

:04:51. > :04:55.constituency. It is interesting that she was not mentioned that your

:04:55. > :04:59.conference. Many in your party would see Howard as the greatest

:04:59. > :05:04.Conservative leader ever, apart from Winston Churchill? At the time of

:05:04. > :05:08.her death, it was sad for people within the party. Many of the

:05:08. > :05:14.members in Scotland went to her funeral at St Paul's Cathedral. I

:05:14. > :05:19.was privileged to be able to attend. We had a full debate in the Scottish

:05:19. > :05:23.Parliament regarding not just her death, but also her legacy, how she

:05:23. > :05:27.changed the face of not just Scotland but the whole of the UK.

:05:27. > :05:32.For me, her biggest legacy was the work she did in Eastern Europe,

:05:32. > :05:38.bringing the end of communism, being the first Western leader to go and

:05:38. > :05:42.speak to the Unionist leader in Poland. She was a real world leader.

:05:42. > :05:50.When she passed we honour her memory and the time is now to look to the

:05:50. > :05:58.future. OK. We have a decision to make in 14 months time. We have to

:05:58. > :06:01.make the right decision. Thank you for joining us. Thank you.It was

:06:01. > :06:08.not just the Scottish troops being rallied for the battle ahead

:06:08. > :06:14.yesterday. The leader of the Welsh Conservatives was pledging Celtic

:06:14. > :06:19.support from farther afield. What is needed in the independence debate is

:06:19. > :06:25.to make sure that we map out what a bright, hopeful future for the 21st

:06:25. > :06:31.century holds for a united kingdom, strong in its belief and purpose,

:06:31. > :06:36.recognising, yes, that there are differences between us, but

:06:36. > :06:43.ultimately, what holds us together is the belief in the common good

:06:43. > :06:48.that we are better as one, stronger as one, and above all, that force

:06:48. > :06:53.for good that has dominated for 300 years, driving across the seas, the

:06:53. > :06:58.trade that has enriched our communities, stood up for the

:06:58. > :07:02.persecuted in all parts of the globe, as Michael said, make Stewart

:07:02. > :07:08.are so many anniversaries to be celebrated, from D-Day to the First

:07:08. > :07:14.World War. Ultimately, we have got to be driving the old turn it of

:07:14. > :07:17.narrative to Alex Salmond's poison that is the independence argument.

:07:17. > :07:23.The United Kingdom cannot and must not be allowed to slip through our

:07:23. > :07:31.fingers. We need to preserve it for future generations, so that they can

:07:31. > :07:34.share in the historical perspective of disparity and security that our

:07:34. > :07:40.generation and previous generations have enjoyed. But we must not allow

:07:40. > :07:46.anyone to sleep walk over the precipice, and that is why I go back

:07:46. > :07:50.to my opening remarks of how important it is to energise people

:07:50. > :07:56.outside the political classes, and outside the normal fraternity who

:07:56. > :08:02.would like to engage in debate. This is a debate for everyone in Scotland

:08:02. > :08:09.to determine the future, but above all, to determine Armas is now to

:08:09. > :08:15.independence when the referendum day comes. We will wake up with that

:08:15. > :08:20.resonating across the airwaves, so that Scotland, Wales, England and

:08:20. > :08:26.Northern Ireland go forward as one United Kingdom, furthering the 21st

:08:26. > :08:28.century as one strong economic entity, better for the people, and

:08:29. > :08:35.better for this great country of ours. Thank you very much for

:08:35. > :08:41.listening. The leader of the Welsh Conservatives. John Curtice is with

:08:41. > :08:47.me in the studio. We are about to go live to Alistair Darling speaking to

:08:47. > :08:51.the Better Together fringe event. He is not quite attending a

:08:51. > :08:55.Conservative conference, but this is fairly unprecedented, to have a

:08:55. > :09:03.former Chancellor and Labour MP speaking in this proximity? It is

:09:03. > :09:09.certainly unusual. In the recent past, we have seen Liberal Democrats

:09:10. > :09:13.turning up to Labour conferences and vice versa. In the wake of the

:09:13. > :09:18.coalition, we have seen Liberal Democrats at Conservative

:09:18. > :09:22.conferences and vice versa, but this is relatively unusual. One of the

:09:22. > :09:26.reasons why the Conservatives are looking forward to this referendum,

:09:26. > :09:32.particularly Scottish Conservatives, is that there are anticipating that

:09:32. > :09:36.for once they are going to be on the winning side. Ruth Davidson has been

:09:36. > :09:42.reminding them that they have had a substantial history of failure since

:09:42. > :09:49.1997, and arguably back to the 1960s, when they have been in

:09:49. > :09:53.decline from. They think they're going to be on the winning side is

:09:53. > :09:57.part of a wider coalition with Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

:09:57. > :10:07.The opinion polls suggest that it is a three to two majority in favour of

:10:07. > :10:11.the no side. That may change but it is one reason that you can predict

:10:11. > :10:13.that Alistair Darling will get a rather warm reception, because for

:10:13. > :10:19.once, this is a chance for the Conservatives to cheer about

:10:19. > :10:24.something. How do the public view this? You always get the impression

:10:24. > :10:27.that people like the idea of politicians working together. And

:10:27. > :10:36.the yes campaign, we have politicians working together and

:10:36. > :10:42.this is another example of that. Some party activists view the idea

:10:42. > :10:51.with horror. Annabel Goldie, the former Scottish Conservative Party

:10:51. > :11:01.leader, is now introducing Alistair Darling live at the event. Would you

:11:01. > :11:05.

:11:05. > :11:12.like to stand up? CHEERING

:11:12. > :11:17.Just to reassure you, these are real people! It is with great pleasure

:11:17. > :11:22.that I am going to ask Alistair Darling to addresses. In case you're

:11:22. > :11:27.feeling isolated among these Conservatives, there may be a

:11:28. > :11:37.friendly spirit looking down and you benignly. Your great uncle was a

:11:38. > :11:39.

:11:39. > :11:45.Conservative MP for Edinburgh South. APPLAUSE

:11:45. > :11:50.Thank you very much. Thank you for your warm welcome. One

:11:50. > :11:54.of the things that struck me over the last three years, since I

:11:54. > :11:58.stepped back from frontline politics, is just how nice your

:11:58. > :12:05.political opponents are about Unite -- once they are absolutely sure

:12:05. > :12:08.that you're not coming back. Whether or not my great uncle is looking

:12:08. > :12:14.down on me, I do not know, and I shall resist the 10th nation to make

:12:14. > :12:18.the point that my great uncle was indeed a Conservative then he, in

:12:18. > :12:23.the days that the Tories still did win seats in a row.

:12:23. > :12:29.APPLAUSE I think he would have been on my

:12:29. > :12:33.side of the argument. We have been setting up Better Together groups

:12:33. > :12:37.right across Scotland. Last week I launched the Better Together

:12:37. > :12:44.campaign in Stornoway. If you're wondering where the suntan came

:12:44. > :12:48.from, it was from Stornoway last week. I am putting my plug-in for

:12:49. > :12:52.the Western Isles to this board. The islands are drenched in sun at the

:12:52. > :12:56.moment, as opposed to the things that normally drench them at this

:12:56. > :13:01.time of year. There is a groundswell of public support for the campaign

:13:01. > :13:04.that we are running. Perhaps the film that you have just seen, which

:13:04. > :13:10.is part of what we are trying to do to convince people about the

:13:10. > :13:15.strength of the UK, the institutions and the values that underpin it,

:13:15. > :13:20.demonstrate why it is so important, because in many ways, what our armed

:13:20. > :13:23.forces have done for us over the last 100 years in two world wars,

:13:24. > :13:29.and what they are still doing for us in Afghanistan today, facing great

:13:29. > :13:33.dangers, they are doing that as part of the United kingdom and in many

:13:33. > :13:39.ways it is a potent symbol of what we are doing. I want to see one

:13:39. > :13:42.other thing, Better Together was set up with the support of the three

:13:42. > :13:47.parties in Scotland that support the case first thing in the UK, but we

:13:47. > :13:53.are separate from it, and deliberately so, because we want to

:13:53. > :13:58.attract people that are not allied to any particular party. Some people

:13:58. > :14:03.would feel uncomfortable about having a reserve pinned to their

:14:03. > :14:06.lapel but you still want to be part of it. I want to acknowledge the

:14:06. > :14:12.work of my colleagues who did a lot of work in helping us get off the

:14:12. > :14:17.ground, and has contributed to our councils and considerations. I hope

:14:17. > :14:27.that everybody will reflect on how much she has achieved, not just for

:14:27. > :14:29.

:14:30. > :14:33.Better Together but in relation to public service in Scotland. There

:14:33. > :14:39.are three powerful reasons why I believe that we are better and

:14:39. > :14:45.stronger together as part of the United Kingdom. The first obviously

:14:45. > :14:52.is about jobs. As part of the single market of 60 million people, there

:14:52. > :14:56.are Scots firms and individuals who produce goods and sell services ride

:14:56. > :15:01.across the UK without any difficulty whatsoever. They don't have to worry

:15:01. > :15:07.whether there customer is in Stirling or Somerset, Edinburgh,

:15:07. > :15:10.Manchester, there is no difficulty whatsoever. At a time when the world

:15:10. > :15:13.is getting smaller and we are seeing increasingly flows of goods and

:15:13. > :15:22.services right across the world, why on earth would your starting point

:15:22. > :15:26.at this most turbulent economic time, one to put barriers between

:15:26. > :15:29.Scots businesses here and customers in other parts of the UK? It is

:15:29. > :15:35.worth bearing in mind that we sell four times as much to the UK as we

:15:35. > :15:40.do to Europe, it is a very, very important market for us. When it

:15:40. > :15:45.comes to a situation now where there is so much uncertainty and

:15:45. > :15:51.turbulence, I believe we should do everything we possibly can in order

:15:51. > :15:55.to enhance the opportunities of getting jobs, not just for our

:15:55. > :16:01.generation but those who come after us. The argument in relation to jobs

:16:01. > :16:07.is overwhelming, in my view. The second reason is the influence we

:16:07. > :16:11.have. Take the European Union for example. I know from having attended

:16:11. > :16:15.ministerial councils for over 13 years that it is the big countries

:16:15. > :16:20.in Europe that call the shots. Some people may say that is not fair but

:16:20. > :16:24.as a matter of fact, if you want anything done in the European Union,

:16:24. > :16:27.you need to have a big country alongside you and that this

:16:27. > :16:33.important because there are huge aspects of life in Scotland,

:16:33. > :16:36.farming, fishing, where that influence is very important to us,

:16:36. > :16:45.including issues that affect the whole country like the rebate and so

:16:45. > :16:49.on. The other reason after the economy and influence we have which

:16:49. > :16:54.is of equal importance and should never underplay, that is the

:16:54. > :17:00.emotional ties between us and the rest of the UK. Earlier this week we

:17:00. > :17:03.set up the Better Together campaign in London and we did that because

:17:03. > :17:10.Scots people living in London, they may not have the vote but they have

:17:10. > :17:14.a voice. What we heard there time and time again is that people living

:17:14. > :17:18.there who may not live in Scotland at the moment but care passionately

:17:18. > :17:23.about their country, my guess is there are many here today who feel

:17:23. > :17:33.passionately about being Scottish but also care equally passionately

:17:33. > :17:37.

:17:37. > :17:42.about being British. I really do not see why I should have to choose

:17:42. > :17:45.between them. I want to be both. I don't think the Olympics changed

:17:45. > :17:49.anything last year, but they did, though, was to bring to the surface

:17:49. > :17:52.what was there all along, a feeling that most of us have in Scotland,

:17:52. > :17:59.but we can see that there is something more than the sum of the

:17:59. > :18:06.parts, something bigger. We are fiercely proud of being British as

:18:06. > :18:12.well as Scottish. That emotional argument manages -- matters to us.

:18:12. > :18:17.We should never ever underplay that. The economy, our influence and that

:18:17. > :18:23.emotional tie that makes the UK what it is is something that is very

:18:23. > :18:27.powerful. This is a different campaign to the one that most of you

:18:27. > :18:30.are used to fighting. In the general election, what happens is, you

:18:30. > :18:36.thought the government in and if you don't like them, you can vote them

:18:36. > :18:42.out and that is it. This campaign is different because remember this, the

:18:42. > :18:46.Nationalists only need to win one by one vote and after that, there is no

:18:46. > :18:50.going back. Nothing will be the same again. That is why it is important

:18:50. > :18:57.that not only do we win this referendum campaign, but we win it

:18:57. > :19:02.well. It is also why I am not going to be put off being asked questions

:19:02. > :19:06.of the nationalist case. When you ask questions of nationalists, they

:19:06. > :19:11.say it is scaremongering. What actually scaremongering means is,

:19:11. > :19:21.you have asked Alex Salmond a question to which he does not know

:19:21. > :19:21.

:19:21. > :19:24.the answer! The reason that we are entitled to ask these questions is

:19:24. > :19:29.because of anyone came to you and said, I have a proposition that will

:19:29. > :19:34.change your life forever and nothing will be the same again, you are

:19:35. > :19:38.entitled to say, tell me why? Dodger argument stack up? If you look at in

:19:39. > :19:42.the last 12 months, we have gone from a situation where Alex Salmond

:19:42. > :19:45.and many other commentators invited you to believe this was an

:19:45. > :19:50.inevitable process, there was no going back, to a situation where you

:19:50. > :19:53.cannot say that today, when people have more and more died. There is

:19:53. > :19:57.hardly a day goes by when people don't have died but what the

:19:57. > :20:00.Nationalists have been saying. It started out in a sober when it

:20:00. > :20:08.turned out a legal advise the Nationalists had had said nothing

:20:08. > :20:12.would change if we voted for independence. What did we find, then

:20:12. > :20:17.never was that legal advice. It strikes at their credibility. What

:20:17. > :20:21.they said was not true. If you take the critically important issue of

:20:21. > :20:26.the currency. They cannot guarantee to keep the pound. They know that

:20:26. > :20:35.people in Scotland want to keep the pound. They also know that in their

:20:35. > :20:39.anxiety to reassure people, they have got themselves into a real bind

:20:39. > :20:43.over trying to enter into a currency union with the rest of the UK. If

:20:43. > :20:48.you have a currency union, there are two things that have to happen. One

:20:48. > :20:51.is, the other side had to agree to it and nobody has actually asked the

:20:51. > :20:55.other side and already the first Minister of Wales said he doesn't

:20:55. > :21:00.want anything to do with it. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has also

:21:00. > :21:03.cast doubt on that. Even if he got agreement, there would be terms and

:21:03. > :21:10.conditions and you don't need to speculate about this. Look at what

:21:10. > :21:15.is going on in the Eurozone every week. You get terms and conditions

:21:15. > :21:18.which you may not like. You would not want to be in a position in

:21:18. > :21:22.Scotland with independence and no representation in the House of

:21:22. > :21:26.Commons. It would then find itself in a position where it would have

:21:26. > :21:36.terms and conditions acceded to it by a foreign country and that would

:21:36. > :21:39.

:21:39. > :21:43.just be as questionable to me. The whole thing has just simply not been

:21:43. > :21:46.thought through. There is another thing about currency unions, look

:21:47. > :21:52.what happens in Europe, a tiki inevitably to increased economic

:21:52. > :21:56.union and then ultimately, to political union. Why would you go to

:21:56. > :22:02.the UK, only to end up in almost the same situation as before, except

:22:02. > :22:09.that you would not have the voice that we have at the present time?

:22:09. > :22:13.That doesn't seem to make any sense at all. It is no wonder that many

:22:13. > :22:18.Nationalists themselves are not saying, why not launch our own

:22:18. > :22:24.currency? All I can say is, at a time like this when we have the most

:22:24. > :22:34.obvious economic uncertainty probably in history, to launch a new

:22:34. > :22:37.

:22:37. > :22:42.currency, that would be what they call in yes Minister, courageous!

:22:42. > :22:49.There are other questions, too, in relation to pensions. The fact we

:22:49. > :22:52.would have to fund Scottish schemes completely now rather than rely on

:22:52. > :22:57.the cross-border subsidy. In relation to energy, I would never

:22:57. > :23:01.argue that Scotland couldn't go it alone but I do argue that to be

:23:01. > :23:06.dependent on 20% of your tax revenues from one source, North Sea

:23:06. > :23:09.oil, which inevitably will diminish over time, seems unwise. Look at

:23:09. > :23:15.what happened to this country but was still heavily dependent on the

:23:15. > :23:20.financial services when the crash came in 2008, it's made a huge hit

:23:20. > :23:25.to our public dances. Take renewable energy, it only exists because of

:23:25. > :23:28.the UK subsidy. We in Scotland pay 10% into that subsidy and we get a

:23:28. > :23:37.third the benefit back. Does anybody honestly think that a separate rest

:23:37. > :23:41.of the UK would take the same view if Scotland was a foreign country? I

:23:41. > :23:47.cannot understand the logic that the Nationalists might try and advance

:23:47. > :23:49.saying we will join NATO after a lifetime of being against it because

:23:49. > :23:58.it makes sense to pull your resources but the one country with

:23:58. > :24:04.which we have a close bond, we want to break our forces that it doesn't

:24:04. > :24:08.make any sense. These are issues that we have two look at. The last

:24:08. > :24:12.point I want to make to you is this, I said that this referendum

:24:12. > :24:15.campaign is different from an election campaign and the stakes

:24:15. > :24:20.could not be higher. There is another thing that is different,

:24:20. > :24:28.this campaign still has another 17 months to go. His opinion polls are

:24:28. > :24:34.all very nice and encouraging, I am sure you know what it is like to be

:24:34. > :24:38.away ahead of the polls, it must be a great feeling for you! But there

:24:38. > :24:43.is a long, long way to go and we need everyone and I mean everyone,

:24:43. > :24:48.whether in a political party or not, he believes in the case were staying

:24:48. > :24:52.in the UK, to make that case. We need every single vote in this time

:24:52. > :24:55.it is not just the vote in key marginals, it is the boats in every

:24:55. > :24:59.single part of Scotland. That is what makes it such a big campaign

:24:59. > :25:09.and that is why we need your help. I am confident that may come in this

:25:09. > :25:11.

:25:11. > :25:19.case. -- that we can win this case. Alex Salmond wants 16 and

:25:19. > :25:26.17-year-olds on the ballot paper. Quite simply, because he thought

:25:26. > :25:32.that young people would put the SNP. It was a cold critical calculation.

:25:32. > :25:36.What is increasingly obvious and you solid in the pool last weekend, on

:25:37. > :25:41.the very large majority of young people in Scotland, they can see

:25:41. > :25:44.that there is something eager. They are proud of being Scottish and

:25:44. > :25:48.pride of things in Scotland and rightly so but they say there is

:25:48. > :25:52.something bigger than that. We are part of the UK that is bigger than

:25:52. > :25:58.the sum of its parts. It was an Englishman who established the

:25:58. > :26:08.welfare state, a Welshman who established the NHS, a Scotsman who

:26:08. > :26:10.

:26:10. > :26:14.founded the Bank of England. The point is, we have not just a

:26:14. > :26:18.powerful history behind us, but we have a huge opportunity and

:26:18. > :26:28.potential in front of us and I think we can do that by being better and

:26:28. > :26:35.stronger as part of the United Kingdom. I do very much.

:26:35. > :26:41.Still in the studio is Professor John Curtice, interesting to see an

:26:41. > :26:49.emphasis on identity from Alistair Darling. One of the interesting

:26:49. > :26:54.themes in the last few days is that all of them are emphasising this

:26:54. > :26:59.idea that we accept people in Scotland feel strongly Scottish but

:26:59. > :27:04.they also feel British. Trying to suggest to people, do you wish to

:27:04. > :27:08.leave the United Kingdom? This is interesting in the sense that

:27:08. > :27:14.research suggests for many people, they have a strong sense of Scottish

:27:14. > :27:19.myth but also Britishness and for that reason, but emotional tie of

:27:19. > :27:23.Britishness still seems to make them reluctant to vote for independence.

:27:23. > :27:26.The no campaign seems to be drawing on that and it is almost as though

:27:26. > :27:30.question on the ballot paper is officially, it should Scotland be an

:27:30. > :27:35.independent country? One of the problems the yes side may have is

:27:35. > :27:41.that in practice, the question people are answering -- asking is,

:27:41. > :27:49.do I want Scotland to leave the UK. As long as the people can focus on

:27:49. > :27:52.that question, the yes side are going to have some difficulty.

:27:52. > :27:56.us pick up on the Prime Ministerspeech to conference

:27:56. > :28:06.yesterday which was a rallying cry for the Scottish Conservatives to

:28:06. > :28:06.

:28:07. > :28:16.stand square behind the union and fight for its preservation.

:28:17. > :28:20.

:28:20. > :28:25.Thank you Ray much. -- very much. My friends, we have got some huge

:28:25. > :28:34.battles coming up. Not just for our party, but for our country. For

:28:34. > :28:39.Scotland, for Britain. 2014, saving our United Kingdom. 2015, giving

:28:39. > :28:44.Britain the Conservative government she needs. 2016, giving Scotland the

:28:44. > :28:48.strong Conservative alternative she deserves. As we fight this battle

:28:48. > :28:56.is, there are two things we must always remember. First, we will

:28:56. > :29:01.always succeed if we are in touch and in tune with modern Scotland. In

:29:01. > :29:05.Ruth Davidson, you have the ideal leader. She was not born into the

:29:05. > :29:10.Conservative party, she chose it. She understands that to win, we have

:29:10. > :29:15.got to be a party for all of Scotland, a party focused on

:29:15. > :29:21.securing Scotland's' place in a strong UK, yes, but not afraid to

:29:21. > :29:24.see how devolution can be improved. A party for the city as much as for

:29:24. > :29:30.the country. For the Young as much as for the old. Northerners in

:29:30. > :29:40.Glasgow as much as the farmer in Borders, that is what she stands for

:29:40. > :29:43.

:29:43. > :29:49.and I back her every step of the way. Second, we will only win these

:29:49. > :29:54.battles if we are clear about our values. Being a modern party does

:29:54. > :30:00.not mean throwing away what it means to be a conservative. But it does

:30:00. > :30:05.mean showing people how our values chime with theirs. There are

:30:05. > :30:08.millions of people across Scotland to think exactly like we do. That if

:30:08. > :30:13.you work hard and do the right thing, you should be rewarded, not

:30:13. > :30:17.punished, that everyone should have the opportunity to rise as high as

:30:17. > :30:22.their talents allowed, that strong families are the bedrock of a strong

:30:22. > :30:27.society, that the foundations of good government or send money and

:30:27. > :30:35.strong defence, that we should look after those who cannot help

:30:35. > :30:41.themselves. As I said on that first day, those who can shoot, those who

:30:41. > :30:47.cannot, we always help. These are conservative values and the Scottish

:30:47. > :30:57.values as well. So, my friends, let us get out there and fight for them

:30:57. > :30:59.

:30:59. > :31:05.with all we have got. There is no doubt with this party stands on the

:31:06. > :31:10.union. The full square behind it. But we have not shied away from that

:31:10. > :31:18.referendum debate. Scotland elected the Nationalist government at

:31:18. > :31:23.Holyrood. That government wanted a referendum, so we said, OK, let's

:31:23. > :31:28.have that referendum, and let's make it one question, yes or no, in the

:31:28. > :31:34.right. We said we are better together as one economy with a

:31:34. > :31:39.shared currency. Alex Salmond said no, let's go separate ways and keep

:31:39. > :31:44.the pound. How is that going to work? Has Alex Salmond not seen what

:31:44. > :31:50.has been happening in Europe over the last few years? You cannot make

:31:50. > :31:56.a currency work without a political union. We said that we are better

:31:56. > :32:03.together to protect jobs in Scotland's defence industry? Alex

:32:03. > :32:07.Salmond said we were scaremongering. But what is the evidence? There are

:32:07. > :32:12.12,000 people employed in Scotland by defence companies, backed by a

:32:12. > :32:22.defence budget that is the fourth-largest the world. Make no

:32:22. > :32:25.

:32:25. > :32:28.mistake, our United Kingdom protect Scottish jobs. We said our banking

:32:28. > :32:38.system is better together. Again, Alex Salmond said no. Listen to

:32:38. > :32:38.

:32:39. > :32:42.this. Cyprus' banking system was seven times the size of its economy.

:32:42. > :32:48.Iceland's banking system was maintained the size of its economy.

:32:48. > :32:53.I do not have to remind you what happened there. Do you know how big

:32:53. > :32:59.Scotland's banking system would be if we separated? It would be 12

:32:59. > :33:05.times the size of the Scottish economy. Let me say that again

:33:05. > :33:10.slowly. Scotland's banks would be 12 types -- Scotland's banks would be

:33:10. > :33:15.12 times the size of the economy. You cannot have banks that are too

:33:15. > :33:25.big to fail, so I say that is another argument why we are better,

:33:25. > :33:31.

:33:31. > :33:35.safer and more prosperous together. The good thing about this debate is

:33:35. > :33:45.that it is not just conservatives that are saying this, it is people

:33:45. > :33:48.all over Scotland. We have even got Alistair Darling coming to this

:33:48. > :33:50.conference to say we are better off together, and I have got to say my

:33:50. > :33:57.friends, that when one of your conference darlings as a Labour MP,

:33:57. > :34:02.you know you're onto something. This is not just about the cold hard

:34:02. > :34:07.facts. It goes much deeper than that. This is about the future of

:34:07. > :34:13.our island, the next chapter in our story. It is about what we feel in

:34:13. > :34:16.our Hearts. The history of the United Kingdom has always been one

:34:17. > :34:23.of shared endeavour, proud in individual identities, but working

:34:23. > :34:26.together for the common good. We saw it when our soldiers fought together

:34:26. > :34:32.under one flag on the beaches of Normandy. We saw it when doctors

:34:32. > :34:38.came together to build their NHS. We sat in the scientific breakthroughs

:34:38. > :34:41.that we have made together, from the television to penicillin. We saw it

:34:41. > :34:49.last summer, when athletes from around Britain trip themselves in

:34:49. > :34:53.one flag. There is so much more still to come. There is no challenge

:34:54. > :34:59.that we face today were breaking up Britain is the right answer. The

:34:59. > :35:03.future I see for Scotland as part of a dynamic, enterprising,

:35:03. > :35:08.compassionate written. A Britain that is not just competing in the

:35:08. > :35:13.global race but winning in the world. A country where we are not

:35:13. > :35:17.dividing up a deficit, but cutting it. A country where we are creating

:35:17. > :35:23.jobs, and fixing welfare, not doubling the problem by splitting

:35:23. > :35:31.up. A country where we are sitting aspiration free, not crushing it for

:35:31. > :35:37.no reason. A country where we are pulling together, not pulling apart.

:35:38. > :35:41.United we are unbeatable. The case is unquestionable. So let its -- let

:35:41. > :35:51.us say it again, we will fight for our United kingdom every step of the

:35:51. > :35:58.

:35:58. > :36:03.party faithful yesterday. Let's go back to Brian Taylor who is joined

:36:03. > :36:08.by some key players in the Scottish Conservative Party.

:36:08. > :36:16.Yes, it is a nutritious Conservative sandwich. QMS peas and in the

:36:16. > :36:22.middle, the party chairman. Thank you for joining us. Margaret

:36:22. > :36:26.Mitchell, it is no surprise that they are in favour of the union. But

:36:26. > :36:31.we're not getting the detail on whether there should be further

:36:31. > :36:35.powers or enhancement of the union. I do not think there should be

:36:35. > :36:40.further powers. I think the powers within the Scotland act,

:36:40. > :36:47.particularly for the 10p tax, should we looked at. There is a vacuum at

:36:47. > :36:57.the heart of Scottish politics. Now we're in a position where have no

:36:57. > :37:02.

:37:03. > :37:08.one to vote for that does not favour more powers. There is no evidence of

:37:08. > :37:17.this anyway. The people of Scotland have never been consulted on this

:37:17. > :37:22.question. This massive transfer of powers under the Scotland act. It is

:37:22. > :37:26.politicians and academics talking to themselves, and some of the media.

:37:26. > :37:30.Should this subject have been debated on the conference floor?

:37:30. > :37:35.think there was an opportunity missed. We had two very good French

:37:35. > :37:43.meetings, very well attended, with excellent points raised. It is a

:37:43. > :37:48.shame we did not promoted. Margaret Mitchell is sceptical about this,

:37:48. > :37:53.let alone further powers. mistake that Margaret makes is

:37:53. > :37:59.adopting the Calman report. It was in the Conservative Party manifesto

:37:59. > :38:05.at the last election. The people of Scotland quite clearly endorsed what

:38:05. > :38:09.was set out in the Calman report. It is very important that the

:38:09. > :38:13.Conservatives at the heart the constitutional debate. I respect her

:38:13. > :38:18.position, it is a long held view and there are other people who hold that

:38:18. > :38:24.view. Others have a different view. That is why we have set up Lord

:38:24. > :38:29.Strathclyde's commission. We are looking for a better settlement for

:38:29. > :38:38.Scotland. Is it the diversity of viewpoints that explains why there

:38:38. > :38:45.was not a debate on the floor of the conference? There was lots of

:38:45. > :38:50.discussion about this conference. People have specific views and the

:38:50. > :38:55.powers. People need to engage with the commission and make the

:38:55. > :38:59.arguments in that environment. What the commission puts forward will

:38:59. > :39:01.come back to Conservative conferences in the future to be

:39:02. > :39:06.debated and there will be an opportunity on specific issues to

:39:06. > :39:11.debate. Is that reassuring, that there will be an opportunity for

:39:11. > :39:16.debate? Yes, but there could have been a debate in the conference

:39:16. > :39:21.which would have informed the commission. It would have been an

:39:21. > :39:24.excellent start because although it is an manifesto, lots of things in

:39:24. > :39:30.manifesto and people are not necessarily voting for one aspect of

:39:30. > :39:32.it when they endorse that manifesto. You stood on a platform

:39:32. > :39:39.of transforming the Conservative Party when you stood for the

:39:39. > :39:40.readership. Where do you stand now on this idea of more powers? You

:39:40. > :39:45.heard Chris Davidson speaking about responsibility and the

:39:45. > :39:51.Conservatives? I am delighted that the party has made some movement on

:39:51. > :39:57.this issue. It has always seemed to me that if we create a Scottish

:39:57. > :40:06.Parliament we need to make it financially responsible. How is it

:40:06. > :40:10.accountable, Margaret Mitchell is disputing that? There is no

:40:10. > :40:14.responsibility on the part of the Scottish finance minister to concern

:40:14. > :40:18.himself with the size of the tax take the size of the Scottish

:40:18. > :40:25.economy, to try and promote businesses to increase the revenue

:40:25. > :40:29.that comes in. This would give the Scottish finance minister and his

:40:29. > :40:33.colleagues more of a stake in the strength of the Scottish economy.

:40:33. > :40:38.You would be I doing, like Ruth Davidson, for driving down

:40:38. > :40:43.taxation? That would always be our direction of travel is

:40:43. > :40:48.Conservatives. We want to make savings in government to reduce the

:40:48. > :40:53.tax burden on people, bringing in greater tax powers to Hollywood.

:40:53. > :40:59.That would give us an opportunity that was not there before. I am not

:40:59. > :41:04.a great fan of Twitter, but one has been drawn to my attention. The

:41:04. > :41:08.Scottish Tory conference starts tomorrow, all that lighting, axe

:41:08. > :41:18.stabbing and graphic sex, it is just like game of thrones, but with

:41:18. > :41:21.

:41:22. > :41:28.dragons. Is there any mischiefmaking going on? I'm quite crisp -- I am

:41:28. > :41:31.quite fond of game of thrones. I am not sure there are many parallels.

:41:31. > :41:36.Is there any plotting or backstabbing going on towards the

:41:36. > :41:43.leader? I do not think so, seriously. Certainly none that I am

:41:43. > :41:47.doing. There is some concern in the party. Margaret has articulated.

:41:47. > :41:54.There is concern about the change of direction and the Constitution. I

:41:54. > :41:59.think that is the right thing to do. I think this has caused some

:42:00. > :42:05.concern. I am hoping that as Lord Strathclyde and his commission do

:42:05. > :42:09.their work, we can bring people on board. Annabel Goldie said that

:42:09. > :42:15.those who were criticising the reader where I'm -- whether

:42:15. > :42:21.incontinent Chihuahuas in search of a lamp post. What about this

:42:21. > :42:26.muttering among the leadership? Do you think it is substantial? I have

:42:26. > :42:33.my DVD of game of thrones. I am enthralled. I am looking forward to

:42:33. > :42:38.seeing that. The backstabbing or the graphic sex? It is quite a menu. I

:42:38. > :42:43.have never beat at -- I have never been at the Conservative conference

:42:43. > :42:47.weather has not been some sort of nice about the leadership. It is par

:42:48. > :42:53.for the course. If people have serious criticisms, they should read

:42:53. > :42:58.them on the record. I do not like to read about and named people saying

:42:58. > :43:03.one thing or another. The parliament is already navelgazing over the

:43:03. > :43:08.constitutional question. The last thing that anyone wants is us

:43:08. > :43:11.navelgazing over leadership. We should move on and we should not

:43:11. > :43:17.muddy the water and cans of looking at this particular policy and

:43:17. > :43:21.anyone's view on it. In some ways, you could say that the coming of age

:43:21. > :43:27.of a leader is when they are criticised, as they all inevitably

:43:27. > :43:31.are. Ruth Davidson was speaking about education vouchers. It is a

:43:32. > :43:38.return to a policy that was suggested for. What do you make of

:43:38. > :43:43.it? Nursery vouchers were very popular and work well. This is an

:43:43. > :43:48.interesting idea to break the local government monopoly. The devil will

:43:48. > :43:51.be in the detail but the general direction is welcome. I think it is

:43:51. > :43:59.very important that Ruth Davidson was speaking about issues like

:44:00. > :44:04.skills and carers. They are a big group in Scottish society. That is

:44:04. > :44:09.what the public want, to hear the detail of policies. The key thing

:44:09. > :44:13.about both these policies, is that we are addressing areas that people

:44:14. > :44:17.who are disadvantaged, people who are suffering are concerned about.

:44:17. > :44:22.There is all this nonsense that the Conservative Party is only a party

:44:22. > :44:29.for the better off. This would help those from less well-off backgrounds

:44:29. > :44:39.that are trapped by the current system. This would also help carers,

:44:39. > :44:46.

:44:46. > :44:52.many of whom are in a difficult situation. Professor John Curtice is

:44:52. > :44:56.still here. Unusual support their fourth game of thrones, I think it

:44:56. > :44:59.is based on horrific event in Scottish history. Conservatives in

:44:59. > :45:07.some turmoil at the moment but interesting to hear Margaret

:45:07. > :45:11.Mitchell, she is not convinced by Ruth Davidson. There clearly is a

:45:11. > :45:16.segment of the party for him Margaret Mitchell was the ticket

:45:16. > :45:19.spokesman there but they feel in a sense it is a Unionist party and up

:45:19. > :45:29.party that should be maximising the power of Westminster rather than

:45:29. > :45:31.

:45:31. > :45:34.Holyrood. David made the comment which is that this is not just a

:45:34. > :45:41.process whereby the Conservative party has its own internal debate

:45:41. > :45:46.and eventually resulted. They then wanted to get to the other parties

:45:46. > :45:50.and have a dialogue with them. Given that the Liberal Democrats are at

:45:50. > :45:55.various stages of the debate about devolution, it is almost beginning

:45:55. > :45:58.to sound as though the option that isn't going to be on the ballot

:45:58. > :46:05.paper because the UK government said it shouldn't be on the ballot

:46:05. > :46:09.paper, some idea of more devolution. We may reach a situation where there

:46:09. > :46:12.seems to be agreement between the three Unionist parties for actually

:46:12. > :46:16.more devolution. All of them saying, if you don't know, that is what

:46:16. > :46:23.you're going to get. It is an interesting and paradoxical turn of

:46:23. > :46:27.events. The former Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie

:46:27. > :46:36.has been listening to Alistair Darling' speech. She joins us now

:46:36. > :46:46.live from the conference. Unusual to see a former Labour Chancellor

:46:46. > :46:50.addressing a Conservative Party. Any disquiet that a Labour man is there?

:46:50. > :46:54.Absolutely not. The warmth of the reception underlined not just the

:46:54. > :46:58.respect in which Alistair is held as he leads the Better Together

:46:58. > :47:03.campaign but also underlined the widespread commitment to fighting

:47:03. > :47:07.under this banner to keep Scotland within the UK. He got a very warm

:47:07. > :47:11.reception and he spoke extremely well and people were joined shoulder

:47:11. > :47:17.to shoulder in this campaign to stop independence and keep Scotland

:47:17. > :47:23.remaining in the UK, they thought it was a positive event and very much

:47:23. > :47:27.appreciated his remarks. Rather odd bedfellows. Ruth Davidson was

:47:27. > :47:31.criticising Labour in her speech for leaving the UK without structural

:47:31. > :47:40.deficit and then up pops the man who, as she in her words, thought

:47:40. > :47:45.caused it. I made the point when I introduced him that of course he and

:47:45. > :47:49.I will have a capacity of issues which we have passionate differences

:47:49. > :47:54.of opinion, that is absolutely right and to be expected, but what happens

:47:54. > :47:58.when it comes to a single issue about the constitutional future of

:47:58. > :48:02.Scotland, the security of Scotland, the stability of Scotland,

:48:03. > :48:06.protecting the best of Scotland, that is an issue on which,

:48:06. > :48:09.regardless of political differences, Alistair Darling and I and our

:48:09. > :48:14.parties and everybody else who believes that Scotland should remain

:48:14. > :48:17.in the UK, stand shoulder to shoulder. You are used to the

:48:17. > :48:22.travails of leadership and not wanted you make of the critics of

:48:22. > :48:31.Ruth Davidson as one rather famous quote that seemed to be doing the

:48:31. > :48:34.round that you mentioned last night? I was making a point that serial

:48:34. > :48:42.monitors are part and parcel of political life for every political

:48:42. > :48:46.leaders. I have had to put up with it, it is just something that you

:48:46. > :48:52.have to grin and bear. She is doing a splendid job, she has done a mind

:48:52. > :48:57.and of works and of work since he took over as leader in Scotland. She

:48:57. > :49:00.has transformed the party, she has made it fit for purpose for

:49:00. > :49:04.campaigning on a 21st-century and the one thing that really struck me

:49:04. > :49:08.about this conference was, and I noticed that everywhere I went, the

:49:08. > :49:12.number of young people attending this conference and I think that is

:49:12. > :49:20.to regulate down to read the' ability to recharge to an age group

:49:20. > :49:25.that is so in Portland and was last in touch with that decade ago.

:49:25. > :49:33.Talking about opponents to Ruth Davidson 's view, we have heard from

:49:33. > :49:38.Margaret Mitchell, is she at serial burglar, as you put it, when she is

:49:38. > :49:45.opposed? There Israel concern in the party following this route. There is

:49:45. > :49:51.an issue between comment on genuine issues of policy and politics and

:49:51. > :49:57.those people that just yap at healers and try to do stabilise. My

:49:57. > :50:01.comments were intended to brief anonymously. It is unforgivable and

:50:02. > :50:04.what was clear in the conference that Ruth Davidson was warmly

:50:04. > :50:07.supported and enthusiastically supported. You only had to look at

:50:07. > :50:13.the reception she received her speech today to know that she is

:50:13. > :50:17.highly prized and highly regarded. What I was observing earlier on in

:50:17. > :50:21.the conference was that as we unite the party behind our leader to face

:50:21. > :50:27.the most serious challenge that Scotland has encountered for many

:50:27. > :50:30.years, that it is absolutely vital that we are all focused on meeting

:50:30. > :50:35.that challenge and not bickering amongst ourselves. Of course there

:50:35. > :50:38.can always be legitimate discussion about policy, that is healthy. There

:50:38. > :50:43.is a world of difference between that of people who smoke anonymously

:50:43. > :50:52.and trying to be destabilising and there is no place for that. Is

:50:52. > :50:57.completely unhelpful. You think your own party will be better together?

:50:57. > :51:02.My own party in Scotland is in very good heart, I am absolutely thrilled

:51:02. > :51:06.with the way she is leading it. She is providing energy and vibrancy and

:51:06. > :51:10.is giving the party ship and a future. She is offering vision and

:51:10. > :51:14.you only had to listen to her speech today to know that she has a plan

:51:14. > :51:24.and a purpose and a future. She is absolutely the right person to lead

:51:24. > :51:24.

:51:24. > :51:34.the party to that future. Let us hear what the Holyrood press pack is

:51:34. > :51:35.

:51:35. > :51:41.made of Ruth Davidson 's speech. Let us talk about leadership. Ruth

:51:41. > :51:51.Davidson 's leadership is secure, has any of the morning and bickering

:51:51. > :51:57.come your way? Given it was written in the papers that they were killers

:51:57. > :52:02.of hope for the leadership but it failed. I think it is unfortunate

:52:02. > :52:12.that you come into a conference 18 months in and people are talking

:52:12. > :52:14.

:52:14. > :52:20.about your leadership skills. largely among people in the group

:52:20. > :52:28.who are running leadership group battle. The MS group did not support

:52:28. > :52:34.Ruth Davidson for a leader. I think she probably has reasonable support

:52:34. > :52:40.within the party grasp its but the other group is a problem for her.

:52:40. > :52:44.Should there have been a debate on this issue? She referred to it in

:52:44. > :52:49.her speech as being a concept that she was in general terms supportive

:52:49. > :52:53.of, but there hasn't been a debate. There should have been a debate,

:52:53. > :52:57.people have been talking about it and firmly, when she mentioned it in

:52:57. > :53:00.the speech, I thought, this is a party that should have the union in

:53:01. > :53:08.bedded in its DNA and I wanted to hear more passion and I think

:53:08. > :53:11.probably within the whole order to hear more about that, too. I don't

:53:11. > :53:18.think she has anything to fear from that debate. People in the

:53:18. > :53:22.Conservative party who are against the powers, they are not somewhere

:53:22. > :53:27.where the party wants to be going. The reforms she is trying to make

:53:27. > :53:30.and also the way she is trying to modernise the party is good progress

:53:30. > :53:35.but the Scottish Conservatives and they should be behind her on that.

:53:35. > :53:40.The fact that David Cameron spoke so firmly in support of her yesterday

:53:40. > :53:46.showed she has nothing to fear so it should have been debated. Did it

:53:46. > :53:56.show that she needed support? Certainly, the media speculation has

:53:56. > :54:02.not been helpful will stop it became quite clear in this weekend but Ruth

:54:02. > :54:05.Davidson is very loyal and David Cameron is loyal and her. But he

:54:05. > :54:11.went further than the script in his speech, he went out of his way to

:54:11. > :54:17.support her. Where are we on this stratified commission, what will

:54:17. > :54:24.happen next? My understanding is that they have not met yet so that

:54:24. > :54:27.is quite a long time to announce it. They have to move quite quickly

:54:27. > :54:34.knife. They were ahead of the game in terms of topping where they

:54:34. > :54:42.should go with devolution. I think they need to say things. Do you see

:54:42. > :54:49.a composite position emerging? Conservative Labour and Liberal

:54:49. > :54:53.Democrat or will you be putting their own distinctive mark? Ever has

:54:53. > :54:58.made that very clear what their own group, looking towards the

:54:58. > :55:05.referendum and I think everybody has to be distinctive. They can only be

:55:06. > :55:08.distinctive. The Liberal Democrats and conservatives are miles apart.

:55:08. > :55:13.It is a perfectly reasonable alternative that each party comes up

:55:13. > :55:21.at their own proposals and says, he will make this in our 2015 general

:55:21. > :55:27.election manifesto. Ruth Davidson says about for now means no change.

:55:27. > :55:30.Do you think is a problem for better together or is it a diversity?

:55:30. > :55:34.Although there is a feeling in Scotland that they want more powers

:55:34. > :55:43.for the Scottish Parliament, there is not a consensus about what those

:55:43. > :55:48.powers should be. What they can say is, vote no, remain in the UK and

:55:48. > :55:57.then we have different views on what more devolution would be but there

:55:57. > :56:00.is more devolution coming. Watchers for schools, she is nine bringing

:56:00. > :56:07.back into the foreground and this idea of an annual long funded break

:56:07. > :56:12.for carers? They sounded great but I am not sure about the detail, if it

:56:12. > :56:17.looks up to scrutiny. I'm not sure how it differs from what we have

:56:17. > :56:21.now. I think it could apply if you had a free school system like in

:56:21. > :56:31.England but amateur hot it would apply here. Ids winners for the

:56:31. > :56:31.

:56:32. > :56:34.Tories? I am a bit today by what was meant by them. It doesn't mean being

:56:34. > :56:44.able to move to private schools, it is just within the local authority

:56:44. > :56:45.

:56:45. > :56:55.system. OK, I don't think that will win many votes. We heard about

:56:55. > :56:55.

:56:55. > :56:59.Alistair darling speaking, does it make him the darling? I went to the

:56:59. > :57:03.fringe event and I sensed that he was slightly uncomfortable but he

:57:03. > :57:07.warned up to it as he went through the speech. He is quite explicitly

:57:07. > :57:11.said that this is more important, that he is setting aside party

:57:11. > :57:15.politics. If you don't believe in the constitutional question that

:57:15. > :57:20.strongly and you are a grassroots Labour supporter, you would be

:57:20. > :57:29.uncomfortable with that but it depends where you're parodies life.

:57:29. > :57:35.It is just a joke we can all share. It is perfectly legit. Back now to

:57:35. > :57:40.the studio. One final thought from John

:57:40. > :57:46.Curtice, is Ruth Davidson putting her neck on the line as she pursues

:57:46. > :57:49.more powers for the parliament? should not underestimate how

:57:49. > :57:54.important the speech was today. There can be no doubt that Ruth

:57:54. > :57:59.Davidson has decided to move from the Michael Forsyth pro union camp

:57:59. > :58:02.into the Murdo Fraser pro-devolution camp. Though she is saying that the

:58:02. > :58:07.detail will be worked out by Lord Strathclyde and they will be

:58:07. > :58:11.opportunity for debate and then decide, is not inconceivable that

:58:11. > :58:15.with Davidson could remain leader as the Scottish Conservatives if in the

:58:15. > :58:21.end the party were to reject whatever Lord Strathclyde comes up