04/03/2016

:00:40. > :00:45.Hello, a very warm welcome to our live coverage of the Scottish

:00:46. > :00:50.Conservative Conference. The Prime Minister calls his Scottish leader

:00:51. > :00:55.the Sturgeon slayer, as the party counts down to May's election. We

:00:56. > :00:59.will bring you the debate on the EU from inside and outside the

:01:00. > :01:03.conference hall. We're await pg the keynote speech by the leader, Ruth

:01:04. > :01:07.Davidson, at 3. 40pm. We'll have that live.

:01:08. > :01:13.Now the Scottish Conservatives have a clear goal - they're hoping to be

:01:14. > :01:17.the party of Opposition at Holyrood ousting Labour. In her speech this

:01:18. > :01:19.afternoon, Ruth Davidson will guarantee NHS funding and will have

:01:20. > :01:24.something interesting to say about income tax. I'll be joined for the

:01:25. > :01:28.duration of the programme by Professor John Curtis of Strathclyde

:01:29. > :01:31.University. Our political editor, Brian Taylor, is also with us live

:01:32. > :01:35.at the conference venue at Murrayfield. Very good afternoon to

:01:36. > :01:38.you. We're hearing some ambitious hopes. Good afternoon indeed.

:01:39. > :01:45.Ambitious goals from the Conservatives this afternoon.

:01:46. > :01:51.Limited ambition of course, it's not to govern in the Scottish Parliament

:01:52. > :01:54.but to form the Opposition. Ruth Davidson will build upon the point

:01:55. > :01:58.that the Prime Minister made, the SNP are moving towards a one-party

:01:59. > :02:04.state. Well that's something that's disputed by others of course. The

:02:05. > :02:07.Conservatives are trying to talk up that prospect to posset themselves

:02:08. > :02:11.as the champion that's can prevent the SNP wielding all power, can try

:02:12. > :02:15.and challenge that power. Of course, to do that, they have to supplant

:02:16. > :02:19.the Labour Party, the second party at Holyrood. I think in seeking to

:02:20. > :02:23.do that, they will seek to contest the Labour Party on two particular

:02:24. > :02:28.things: First of all, on the possibility of the prospect of a

:02:29. > :02:31.second independence referendum. The Conservatives will say that they

:02:32. > :02:37.have no truck with that whatsoever and they stand firmly against that

:02:38. > :02:41.and try to depict their Labour rivals not having the same strength

:02:42. > :02:46.on that. The second is taxation, with Labour offering an increase in

:02:47. > :02:50.taxation in Scotland, a penny on income tax across all bands. Albeit

:02:51. > :02:55.with rebates for the lowest earners. The Conservatives will try to

:02:56. > :02:58.contrast themselves with that very much. Do I believe that Ruth

:02:59. > :03:05.Davidson will offer a tax cut? No, I do not. I believe she will say that

:03:06. > :03:08.tax in Scotland should stay the same as tax throughout the rest of the

:03:09. > :03:17.UK. She will use that as a distinction between her party and

:03:18. > :03:22.the Labour Party. Much more fr pry -- from Brian throughout the

:03:23. > :03:26.programme. A few years ago it would have been amazing to hear of the

:03:27. > :03:33.Conservatives overtaking the Labour Party. There is evidence that the

:03:34. > :03:37.Scottish Conservatives have made moves in the last six months. On the

:03:38. > :03:41.first anniversary of the independence referendum in September

:03:42. > :03:45.last year, the Tories were on 14% in the opinion polls. Recently, until a

:03:46. > :03:48.couple of poll untils this last week, they got themselves up to 17%.

:03:49. > :03:53.One poll this week suggested they've week, they got themselves up to 17%.

:03:54. > :03:57.slipped again substantially. That's modest progress. It's not dramatic.

:03:58. > :04:02.In truth, we should remember that 17% is actually what the

:04:03. > :04:04.Conservatives got back in 1997, in the general election, which they

:04:05. > :04:09.suffered a whitewash and they lost all their MPs in Scotland. 17% is

:04:10. > :04:16.actually no more than the best performance that the Tories have put

:04:17. > :04:22.in in Scotland in a Parliament election. It's not clear signs, at

:04:23. > :04:26.last, of the Scottish Conservatives reviving from the undoubted weak

:04:27. > :04:30.position they've been in since 1997. The fact that we're talking about

:04:31. > :04:34.even the possibility that they might overtake Labour is much more to do

:04:35. > :04:38.with the weakness of the Labour Party in Scotland. Recent opinion

:04:39. > :04:44.polls put Labour, on average, at no more than a fifth of the vote. Only

:04:45. > :04:46.one poll putting them even Stephens. The Conservatives on 17%, not a

:04:47. > :04:49.particularly impressive performance, The Conservatives on 17%, not a

:04:50. > :04:53.simply at the high end of what they've been at during the course of

:04:54. > :04:56.the last 15 years, that might be enough for us to even think of the

:04:57. > :04:59.possibility they could overtake Labour is telling you more about the

:05:00. > :05:04.Labour Party than it is about changes in the fortunes of the

:05:05. > :05:07.Conservatives. We'll hear from Ruth Davidson this afternoon. Perhaps the

:05:08. > :05:11.party's fortunes haven't changed real li. It's down to -- really.

:05:12. > :05:14.It's down to the Labour Party. Has she changed the face of the

:05:15. > :05:19.Conservative Party here in Scotland? To give her credit, I think Ruth

:05:20. > :05:23.Davidson is a remarkably popular and, at least, respected politician

:05:24. > :05:26.north of the border, given the unpopularity of her party. The

:05:27. > :05:31.opinion polls show clearly that more people think she's doing a good job

:05:32. > :05:37.as leader. They're satisfied with the leader, than think she's doing a

:05:38. > :05:42.bad leader. On a range of social issues, not least gay marriage, Ruth

:05:43. > :05:45.Davidson is at the liberal end of the spectrum and has helped to

:05:46. > :05:52.persuade people that a party that the spectrum and has helped to

:05:53. > :05:57.has hitherto, there were a lot of people aged over 65, is now led by

:05:58. > :06:02.somebody who is young and not socially conservative. Butch she is

:06:03. > :06:09.clearly a Conservative when it comes to economic issues. She's indicated

:06:10. > :06:13.that actually her ambition would be to reduce the level of income tax in

:06:14. > :06:15.Scotland. As Brian said, it's unlikely she will make that promise

:06:16. > :06:19.this afternoon because the truth is the state of the finances make that

:06:20. > :06:23.a very different promise to deliver. I think we can anticipate,

:06:24. > :06:26.particularly given that the other two Unionist parties, not just

:06:27. > :06:30.Labour, but also the Liberal Democrats, have come out in favour

:06:31. > :06:33.of increasing income tax in Scotland, she will regard at Oliver

:06:34. > :06:36.Letwin a good positioning from -- at least a good position from her point

:06:37. > :06:39.of view that the Conservatives will least a good position from her point

:06:40. > :06:48.never have income tax higher than in England. Thank you. Before the

:06:49. > :06:51.conference got under way, Brian Taylor interviewed Ruth Davidson.

:06:52. > :06:56.We're expecting an announcement on income tax in her speech. So Brian

:06:57. > :07:01.asked her - would you cut income tax with the new powers? I think tax

:07:02. > :07:04.cuts have to be earned. I think that, of course, as a centre-right

:07:05. > :07:09.cuts have to be earned. I think politician, as a Conservative, I

:07:10. > :07:13.want the burden to be low on families, but I absolutely believe

:07:14. > :07:16.in the fabric of the United Kingdom that holds us together as a social

:07:17. > :07:20.union as well as economic union. That means making sure we have the

:07:21. > :07:24.public services and the style of life that we want to enjoy to make

:07:25. > :07:29.Scotland one of the best places in the world to live and to work and to

:07:30. > :07:32.have a family. Sounds like no tax cut in May, but it could come

:07:33. > :07:36.further down the road? You're trying to read the tea leaves now. I will

:07:37. > :07:40.leave that to the speech. Are you tempted by the prospect of a tax

:07:41. > :07:44.cut? It sounds like not. You say it has to be earned. There's a debate

:07:45. > :07:48.in your party, I know that for certainty, there's a debate in the

:07:49. > :07:51.party about whether a tax cut is an eye catcher or whether it's

:07:52. > :07:55.problematic because you get asked what services you would cut. There

:07:56. > :07:59.could be all the debates in the world, but the buck stops with me. I

:08:00. > :08:04.will speak to conference in a few hours and making that plain.

:08:05. > :08:08.Question on health from Jennifer Allen. It's the business of young

:08:09. > :08:15.people with neurological conditions being cared for in homes that are

:08:16. > :08:21.designed to care for the elderly. What do you make of that one? One of

:08:22. > :08:25.the big issues is that we don't have enough knowledge about where and how

:08:26. > :08:30.this is happening. I pay tribute to a colleague of mine is a different

:08:31. > :08:34.party who's done so much work on this, Dr Richard Simpson in the

:08:35. > :08:38.Labour Party, a former GP himself. He has rightly highlighted the fact

:08:39. > :08:43.that a lot of health boards across Scotland don't actually know how

:08:44. > :08:46.many people this occurs to. Some of them are people that, as you say,

:08:47. > :08:50.are below pensionable age. Some of them are a long way below

:08:51. > :08:55.pensionable age and care homes in that sense, the ones that they're

:08:56. > :08:59.finding themselves in really aren't appropriate for their leads. The

:09:00. > :09:03.first way to help with any problem is to find out how big it is and we

:09:04. > :09:08.don't know. There's a lot of work to be done. I would expect and I would

:09:09. > :09:11.don't know. There's a lot of work to hope that the Scottish Government

:09:12. > :09:13.take Dr Simpson's intervention on this seriously and make sure they

:09:14. > :09:17.move with it. You will talk today this seriously and make sure they

:09:18. > :09:26.about an offer on health. Explain to the viewers what that offer is.

:09:27. > :09:30.Sure, we know that between 2010 and 2015, lots of money and health

:09:31. > :09:35.consequential, the amount of money put in the Health Service down south

:09:36. > :09:39.went up, a proportion of that money went up to Scotland as it does, and

:09:40. > :09:42.the SNP didn't spend it on health. If we put numbers on that. Health

:09:43. > :09:47.spending in England between that period went up by 7%. In Scotland up

:09:48. > :09:50.by 1%. The SNP took money away and spent it on other things. We want to

:09:51. > :09:54.have a guarantee that says that we're going to care for our NHS and

:09:55. > :09:59.we're going to make sure that it's fully funded. We know there's ?10

:10:00. > :10:04.billion more going into the Health Service down south. We want to make

:10:05. > :10:08.sure our portion goes into the Health Service. Our guarantee is

:10:09. > :10:12.that health spending in Scotland will go up either by 2%, by

:10:13. > :10:16.inflation or by the consequentials from England, whichever is largest.

:10:17. > :10:20.Every penny gets put into the NHS. Scottish ministers say the promise

:10:21. > :10:26.was to protect revenue, day-to-day spending, they have done. So they

:10:27. > :10:30.say that any gap there is is accounted for not comparing

:10:31. > :10:35.like-for-like on capital expenditure They say they will take this one key

:10:36. > :10:39.part of the butt and move it to -- budget and move it to somewhere

:10:40. > :10:44.else. It's the day-to-day spending on nurses and the Health Service..

:10:45. > :10:47.The numbers don't lie. The money came to Scotland, they spent it on

:10:48. > :10:53.other things. It's really clear out there, people know that our NHS - I

:10:54. > :10:57.mean there are doctors and nurses and porters and managers that work

:10:58. > :11:00.way belong their time to keep the show on the road. We need to make

:11:01. > :11:04.sure that they have the support that they need. And that there is more

:11:05. > :11:08.money that can be put in. It doesn't require a tax rise. It's coming to

:11:09. > :11:11.the Scottish Parliament any way. Let's make sure that's spent on

:11:12. > :11:19.health. The question of the European Union and the referendum. Nan

:11:20. > :11:23.McPherson not happy. Says the voters will head for Brexit. She says

:11:24. > :11:29.because of Europe's inability to deal with the refugee crisis. She's

:11:30. > :11:36.sat down and looked at the numbers and divided them up among all

:11:37. > :11:41.countries. She says when the mess is seen they will head for Brexit. Do

:11:42. > :11:45.you that I that's right? I don't. People in Britain are an outward

:11:46. > :11:48.looking people. We have always been a nation that particularly wants to

:11:49. > :11:51.trade with our neighbours and has gotten involved in the world. You

:11:52. > :11:56.were torn yourself. When you issued a statement you said it was this,

:11:57. > :12:00.this, this, this and then you said, "on balance". You were torn. Did you

:12:01. > :12:03.have to wrestle with this personally? Other Conservatives have

:12:04. > :12:07.have to wrestle with this said they have. Not wrestling, but

:12:08. > :12:09.for me it is on balance, a rational decision. Something like, for

:12:10. > :12:15.example, the referendum we had on staying part of the United Kingdom,

:12:16. > :12:19.for me was absolutely head, heart, gut, body, soul, passion decision.

:12:20. > :12:23.For me, this is an impassionate decision but one that I've come to

:12:24. > :12:28.where I think it is in our best interests to stay. I'm not a

:12:29. > :12:31.passionate Europhile that sleeps under a duvet cover with the stars

:12:32. > :12:38.of Europe flag on it. You astonish me! Shocking, I know. As a trading

:12:39. > :12:42.nation and growing up in a household with we're a MoDDest family --

:12:43. > :12:48.modest family, but every plate of foot in front of us was because my

:12:49. > :12:51.dad made stuff and sold it abroad. I see the need for Scotland's

:12:52. > :12:54.businesses to stay part of one of the biggest free trade blocks

:12:55. > :13:00.anywhere in the world. It makes sense for us to be part of it. Do

:13:01. > :13:03.you understand why some senior colleagues, Cabinet members have

:13:04. > :13:11.they've come to a different view on balance? I do understand. It I

:13:12. > :13:16.disgrow with them. I disgree in Scotland. They say it's so important

:13:17. > :13:20.that we're part of a trading union in the EU, where we sell about 17%

:13:21. > :13:23.to 18% of Scotland's goods and services, so much so that we have to

:13:24. > :13:29.to 18% of Scotland's goods and protect that 17%, that we leave a

:13:30. > :13:33.union where we sell 68% of goods and services. I see the dichotomy, which

:13:34. > :13:39.I find strange. Talk about your party with the comments from the

:13:40. > :13:43.likes of Iain Duncan Smith and Boris Johnson with what they would regard

:13:44. > :13:47.as scaremongering from the other side, the from the Prime Minister

:13:48. > :13:52.and the Chancellor. Can the party stay together after this, is there a

:13:53. > :13:57.risk of division? I think this is an honest disagreement. The party has

:13:58. > :14:02.been grown up enough to say let's have that in public and make sure

:14:03. > :14:07.that we have a full-throated debate if required. Let's let the people of

:14:08. > :14:12.this country decide. I don't mean to show the difference in our

:14:13. > :14:16.experiences, but the last referendum on Europe was before I was born. If

:14:17. > :14:21.you're under 58 years old, you've never had a say. I think it's right.

:14:22. > :14:24.People right across Scotland, whether Conservative or not, whether

:14:25. > :14:27.they're inner or outer, will understand that both sides have a

:14:28. > :14:29.home in the Scottish Conservative Party and it's only because of the

:14:30. > :14:35.Conservatives that they're getting a vote at all. Can your party stick

:14:36. > :14:37.together? Without a doubt. How can you work together after Cabinet

:14:38. > :14:43.members have been at each others' you work together after Cabinet

:14:44. > :14:46.throats, it will be for months. . Let's not get hysterical, Brian.

:14:47. > :14:49.People are putting policy positions out there. You know, there have

:14:50. > :14:52.always been disagreements out there. You know, there have

:14:53. > :14:55.political parties. This issue is not new or exciting or news worthy that

:14:56. > :14:58.there are people on different sides of this argument. That's why the

:14:59. > :15:02.Prime Minister has taken the right decision to allow a free vote on

:15:03. > :15:05.this and to make sure that it goes to the country and not just to a

:15:06. > :15:09.vote in Parliament. Everyone's vote counts the same, whether you're a

:15:10. > :15:13.Cabinet minister or whether you turned 18 the day before the vote

:15:14. > :15:17.itself. They can kiss and make up afterwards, well, maybe not kiss. I

:15:18. > :15:20.don't like to cast aspersions, there's not many I would like to

:15:21. > :15:24.don't like to cast aspersions, lock in an embrace! But we're a

:15:25. > :15:28.grown-up party. Don't worry about us, we know what's important, that's

:15:29. > :15:32.making sure the Government of this party stays on track. That was Brian

:15:33. > :15:38.Taylor speaking to Ruth Davidson this morning. We will bring you her

:15:39. > :15:41.keynote speech at around 3. 45pm. The conference has heard from the

:15:42. > :15:44.Prime Minister. David Cameron addressed party members this

:15:45. > :15:46.morning, saying only the Tories can challenge the SNP and prevent

:15:47. > :15:59.Scotland becoming a one-party state. Here is more of what he had to say.

:16:00. > :16:03.This is a team that has done great things. When the fate of our country

:16:04. > :16:09.hung in the balance, when we were told it was too tight to call, we

:16:10. > :16:18.won the referendum and we kept the four Nations United. In 2015,

:16:19. > :16:21.won the referendum and we kept the Britain's security was on the ballot

:16:22. > :16:29.paper, people said we were heading for the Labour, SNP Alliance but we

:16:30. > :16:35.stop David Miliband -- Ed Miliband and Alex Salmond in their tracks. I

:16:36. > :16:46.thank you all for that great election victory. Now, in 2016, when

:16:47. > :16:50.we face some tough elections and the SNP lack any scrutiny from the

:16:51. > :16:56.second largest party, we can be the ones that give Scotland a strong

:16:57. > :17:00.alternative it needs. That's right, we, the Scottish Conservative Party.

:17:01. > :17:02.alternative it needs. That's right, Today, we are the effective

:17:03. > :17:11.opposition and for the next 62 days we will fight to become the official

:17:12. > :17:15.opposition. There are four big messages we need

:17:16. > :17:21.to get out there over the next 62 days. The first thing we need to

:17:22. > :17:27.tell voters is about our United Kingdom. We always said we were the

:17:28. > :17:33.party of the union. Now it is clear we are the only party of the union.

:17:34. > :17:39.For the SNP it is still independence are nothing, despite settling the

:17:40. > :17:42.matter for a generation. Now we have Labour and the Liberal Democrats,

:17:43. > :17:47.saying that politicians can campaign either way if a second referendum

:17:48. > :17:52.should take place. They have effectively abandoned their support

:17:53. > :17:58.for the union. For Scotland, this is huge. It leaves just one party, the

:17:59. > :18:00.Conservatives, just one person, Ruth Davidson, to speak for the 2

:18:01. > :18:06.Conservatives, just one person, Ruth people who voted no in the

:18:07. > :18:10.referendum. Let's tell those voters this: If you care about your

:18:11. > :18:14.country, if you love Scotland and you know our four Nations arbiter

:18:15. > :18:28.together, there is only one party for you and that

:18:29. > :18:33.together, there is only one party secure the future of the union by

:18:34. > :18:37.holding a referendum, but also by delivering real devolution. We

:18:38. > :18:40.reached the latest milestone, delivering real devolution. We

:18:41. > :18:42.milestone in that journey last week. delivering real devolution. We

:18:43. > :18:44.There is a delivering real devolution. We

:18:45. > :18:51.responsibility. So it is delivering real devolution. We

:18:52. > :19:03.the SNP Scottish Government to end the grudge, gripe and grievance and

:19:04. > :19:13.start to govern Scotland. It is an end to the blame game, the book

:19:14. > :19:22.stops at Bute Council. Smith delivered, of our meta-

:19:23. > :19:29.stops at Bute Council. Smith Conservative and Unionist Party. We

:19:30. > :19:32.have won the argument that you can have devolution in the United

:19:33. > :19:39.Kingdom and be stronger, safer and better off as a result.

:19:40. > :19:49.Kingdom and be stronger, safer and to win the next argument, that

:19:50. > :19:51.Kingdom and be stronger, safer and whiskey, eat Salmond, use

:19:52. > :19:53.Kingdom and be stronger, safer and financial services, Scotland relies

:19:54. > :20:01.on the financial services, Scotland relies

:20:02. > :20:03.jobs, spanning so many Scottish sectors linked to the ability to

:20:04. > :20:07.trade sectors linked to the ability to

:20:08. > :20:11.fall back on the basic rules of global trade, as some have

:20:12. > :20:20.suggested, it could mean tariffs as high as 13% on Scottish Salmond. 14%

:20:21. > :20:24.on lamb and up to 17% on some beef products. It is time to explain to

:20:25. > :20:30.those who want to leave on how Scotland a lot if we left. It is for

:20:31. > :20:31.them to look those farmers in the eye and tell them if they

:20:32. > :20:38.them to look those farmers in the pay tariffs, and if how much. It is

:20:39. > :20:42.for us to argue when this great exporting nation can trade with the

:20:43. > :20:46.world, people are better off with more jobs, more growth, more

:20:47. > :20:52.investment, more opportunities, all adding up to a brighter future for

:20:53. > :20:55.Scotland. We will be safer in a reformed Europe. It is there we have

:20:56. > :21:01.areas of cooperation might the European arrest warrant, through

:21:02. > :21:07.which we have extradited 7000 foreign suspects. I believe we are

:21:08. > :21:11.stronger in a reformed Europe. Our nation put Scotland in the driving

:21:12. > :21:21.seat on the world's biggest issues. Scotland proved it shows you can be

:21:22. > :21:25.successful, strong, part of the United kingdom. I believe that is

:21:26. > :21:29.what we can do in a reformed Europe. Where we have the best of both

:21:30. > :21:33.worlds, in all the things that are so important it was, like the single

:21:34. > :21:40.market, but carved out of those things we don't want any part of. So

:21:41. > :21:48.no euro, no eurozone bailout is, no European army, no Schengen open

:21:49. > :21:54.borders and no Euro superstate. If we left, we would be swapping that

:21:55. > :21:58.certainty for uncertainty. We have worked so hard to get our economy

:21:59. > :22:03.growing, to get our people into work, to see living standards rise.

:22:04. > :22:10.Leaving the EU could put so much of that risk. Now there is another risk

:22:11. > :22:14.to our economic security - tax rises. That is the second thing we

:22:15. > :22:18.need to tell voters about, the risk from Labour. We revealed their big

:22:19. > :22:22.idea to help working people and an from Labour. We revealed their big

:22:23. > :22:27.income tax rise for everyone. Just as people are getting jobs, just as

:22:28. > :22:31.they are beginning to see their pay rise ahead of inflation, light at

:22:32. > :22:35.the end of the tunnel, Labour want to start raiding their pay packets.

:22:36. > :22:40.They say they are doing it to help the low paid. But who will feel the

:22:41. > :22:46.tax rise? Will it be the rich, those with well-paid jobs, those with big

:22:47. > :22:53.homes and there money worries? No, it will be the young teacher just

:22:54. > :22:57.starting out. The nurse on 25 Grant, the shop worker who has to watch

:22:58. > :23:00.every penny they spend. Labour have said they will hand some people ?100

:23:01. > :23:05.back if they fall below a certain threshold. How much would that cost

:23:06. > :23:07.back if they fall below a certain to administer? Wouldn't it negate

:23:08. > :23:13.the revenue it was supposed to be generating? Why don't you just don't

:23:14. > :23:23.take the money of the people in the first place? We believe no one

:23:24. > :23:26.should pay more tax here than they do in England, Wales or Northern

:23:27. > :23:31.Ireland. Under Ruth, not a penny more. We need an approach that

:23:32. > :23:35.addresses the social causes, the social inequality that can hold back

:23:36. > :23:40.the brightest children because of their background. We can be proud it

:23:41. > :23:44.is us, the Conservatives, who are the real progressive force in

:23:45. > :23:47.Scottish politics today. The fourth thing we need to tell voters, we are

:23:48. > :23:54.the party that can challenge the SNP. We are now the only party that

:23:55. > :24:00.can't properly challenge the SNP. They have been in power for nine

:24:01. > :24:03.years, they are the establishment. With Labour's collapse, Scotland is

:24:04. > :24:10.in danger of becoming a 1-party state. Look at the litany of SNP

:24:11. > :24:15.failure. School attainment stagnating. The number of college

:24:16. > :24:24.students, falling. Help for poorer student at university, cut. Then

:24:25. > :24:26.there is the mess of the law that banned football songs, the lost

:24:27. > :24:32.accountability of merging eight police forces into one. The

:24:33. > :24:36.abolition of right to buy. Even though Nicola Sturgeon's family

:24:37. > :24:42.benefited from it, she is saying you cannot. There is this named person

:24:43. > :24:46.policy, which ensures every child is allocated at Guardian, even if they

:24:47. > :24:50.have parents and no need for this extra bureaucracy. I can tell you

:24:51. > :25:02.who needs a Guardian, someone to keep them in check, is the SNP, they

:25:03. > :25:06.need a Guardian. So, my friends, is false to us, the Conservatives, the

:25:07. > :25:13.only party fit to expose the spendthrift, out of touch, dogmatic

:25:14. > :25:22.and inept nationalists for what they are. And that is what we have got to

:25:23. > :25:26.do in the next 62 days. That was David Cameron's speech. Listening to

:25:27. > :25:33.that at Murrayfield was Brian Taylor. Brian? David Cameron

:25:34. > :25:41.offering to be the guardian, I think it was, of the SNP, the watchdog. I

:25:42. > :25:45.am joined by the Secretary of State for Scotland, is that a credible

:25:46. > :25:47.situation to offer the Conservatives, you are not the

:25:48. > :25:52.largest party in Holyrood, the Labour Party have bigger numbers

:25:53. > :25:57.than you and always have? We are going into this election fighting a

:25:58. > :26:02.strong campaign, as the party who can hold the SNP to account, make

:26:03. > :26:05.sure they do what they say they going to do and focus on policies

:26:06. > :26:12.that make a difference for the of Scotland. Move forward from the

:26:13. > :26:13.grievance, a gripe and the constitutional wrangling. Have

:26:14. > :26:18.proper debates about health, education and transport, the issues

:26:19. > :26:24.that matter to people in Scotland. It is clear with Davidson is the

:26:25. > :26:32.person to hold Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP to account. I think we will

:26:33. > :26:37.see in the results in the election, a significantly larger Conservative

:26:38. > :26:40.group. And I hope seeing Ruth as the Leader of the Opposition in

:26:41. > :26:46.Scotland. You are presumably accepting the SNP are going to win

:26:47. > :26:50.the overall majority again and Nicola Sturgeon will be First

:26:51. > :26:53.Minister? You can never take the electorate the granted but if you

:26:54. > :27:00.look at the opinion polls over a period of time, the election is that

:27:01. > :27:05.the SNP to lose in Scotland. It would be impossible to see

:27:06. > :27:09.circumstances in which they wouldn't emerge as the largest party. I don't

:27:10. > :27:15.think people want to see a 1-party state. They don't want to see a

:27:16. > :27:19.situation where a party is able to govern unchallenged. Over the last

:27:20. > :27:26.nine years, Labour have been caught missing in action as the official

:27:27. > :27:30.opposition. Haven't laid a finger on the SNP in the Scottish Parliament.

:27:31. > :27:36.Anyone watching First Minister's Questions can see that Ruth can and

:27:37. > :27:45.does hold Nicola Sturgeon to account. It is an Conservative Party

:27:46. > :27:48.does hold Nicola Sturgeon to challenging and Conservative Party

:27:49. > :27:54.who will speak up for people who voted to remain in the United

:27:55. > :27:59.Kingdom, the 2 million people... The SNP have managed to corral the yes

:28:00. > :28:08.voters into their camp in supporting the SNP. You are saying you want to

:28:09. > :28:12.corral the no voters who would have been Liberal Democrats or nothing at

:28:13. > :28:16.all. You want them in your camp behind the Conservatives? There is

:28:17. > :28:20.only one party going to the Scottish elections

:28:21. > :28:24.commitment to keeping Scotland in the United Kingdom.

:28:25. > :28:29.commitment to keeping Scotland in has made it quite clear Labour

:28:30. > :28:32.supporters would be able to campaign for in or out

:28:33. > :28:38.supporters would be able to campaign referendum in Scotland. Jeremy

:28:39. > :28:42.supporters would be able to campaign on the union. He was one of the few

:28:43. > :28:45.Labour MPs who didn't bother to come up to Scotland during the

:28:46. > :28:49.independence referendum. I don't think voters can have any clear idea

:28:50. > :28:53.that Labour will stand up for Scotland being in the United

:28:54. > :28:57.Kingdom. Conservatives are campaigning, including Cabinet

:28:58. > :29:01.Conservatives of yours are campaigning for in stock does that

:29:02. > :29:08.make your position incoherence on the European Union? The European

:29:09. > :29:13.issue is a different issue in relation to Scotland remaining

:29:14. > :29:14.issue is a different issue in the United Kingdom. The Conservative

:29:15. > :29:18.Party north and south of the border the United Kingdom. The Conservative

:29:19. > :29:20.are 100% committed to Scotland remaining part of the United

:29:21. > :29:21.are 100% committed to Scotland Kingdom. It is a core part of

:29:22. > :29:27.message these elections. Kingdom. It is a core part of

:29:28. > :29:31.core part of the labour or Liberal Democrat message. If people want

:29:32. > :29:31.core part of the labour or Liberal someone in the Scottish Parliament

:29:32. > :29:35.who will stand up for Scotland someone in the Scottish Parliament

:29:36. > :29:38.that person is Ruth Davidson. someone in the Scottish Parliament

:29:39. > :29:42.Prime Minister referred to the someone in the Scottish Parliament

:29:43. > :29:49.on tax countering that Labour proposal of an increase of 1%. The

:29:50. > :29:53.on tax countering that Labour How close are we close the Leader

:29:54. > :30:00.on tax countering that Labour the House -- of that bill going

:30:01. > :30:03.through the House? It should come through the Parliament in ten days'

:30:04. > :30:07.time. If the motion is passed, I have become complete the

:30:08. > :30:12.Parliamentary process by the time the Scottish Parliament is

:30:13. > :30:18.dissolved. That is March 23. That could mean the income tax powers

:30:19. > :30:21.could come into place for April 20 17. It has been agreed between the

:30:22. > :30:27.two governments that we should work towards those object debts. NXT's

:30:28. > :30:32.Scottish Parliament setting, the budget would be taken into into

:30:33. > :30:37.account what the rate of spending in Scotland would be. The Prime

:30:38. > :30:42.Minister is saying Scotland should not be paying

:30:43. > :30:43.Minister is saying Scotland should the UK. Why don't you go and offer a

:30:44. > :30:49.tax cut in Scotland? The natural the UK. Why don't you go and offer a

:30:50. > :30:54.instinct of the Conservatives, particularly of Ruth is to move

:30:55. > :30:57.towards a reduction in tax. We have to get

:30:58. > :31:02.towards a reduction in tax. We have sure it is working and make sure all

:31:03. > :31:09.the finances start-up. The conservative are alone tax party and

:31:10. > :31:14.that is our position to move to a position to move to lower taxes in

:31:15. > :31:17.Scotland. What we are committed to and what people can vote for in

:31:18. > :31:21.Scotland is a guarantee that under the Conservatives you would pay no

:31:22. > :31:25.more tax than elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

:31:26. > :31:30.How will you get this message across for the Scottish elections when the

:31:31. > :31:34.question is all about the EU? The EU for the Scottish elections when the

:31:35. > :31:38.referendum is a big issue. I don't think it will be the dominant issue

:31:39. > :31:42.in Scotland over the next couple of months. It will be the Scottish

:31:43. > :31:46.Parliament elections. I think they will be at the fore. I think the

:31:47. > :31:53.referendum campaign here in Scotland will really kick off on the 6th of

:31:54. > :31:54.May. Of course, there will be discussion and debate around the

:31:55. > :31:57.referendum, because that will be discussion and debate around the

:31:58. > :32:00.happening nationally, but I don't think that it will be the dominant

:32:01. > :32:04.thing in voters' minds over the next two months. It will be who will be

:32:05. > :32:08.running Scotland and how will they be held to account. Iain Duncan

:32:09. > :32:11.Smith says that those who are advocating remaining in the European

:32:12. > :32:17.Union are guilty of smears. What do you make of that? I don't think

:32:18. > :32:21.that's an accurate description. What I think is necessary just as it was

:32:22. > :32:24.in our referendum here in Scotland, for Ian and all the colleagues who

:32:25. > :32:28.support leaving, and I respect the view. Most of these views are long

:32:29. > :32:33.held in relation to the EU, what they have to do is set out what the

:32:34. > :32:37.alternative is. It's not scaremongering to ask what the

:32:38. > :32:42.alternative would be. What would it look like for ordinary people, for

:32:43. > :32:46.their day-to-day jobs and the economy for Britain to be outside

:32:47. > :32:50.the EU? And so far, whilst I've heard lots of criticisms of the EU,

:32:51. > :32:54.many of them valid, I haven't heard anybody set out a coherent picture

:32:55. > :32:58.of what it would look like of Britain being outside the EU.

:32:59. > :33:03.Secretary of State, thank you very much. We hand you back to the

:33:04. > :33:06.studio. Now for Conservatives, as Brian was

:33:07. > :33:10.pointing out, Europe has always been a major issue and conference is a

:33:11. > :33:18.buzz with talk of the forth coming referendum. David Cameron and Ruth

:33:19. > :33:23.Davidson have been making their positions clear, we caught up with

:33:24. > :33:28.another member voting for vote leave.

:33:29. > :33:30.I'm joined by Dr Liam Fox. Thank you very much for joining us. The Prime

:33:31. > :33:34.Minister arguing in his speech that very much for joining us. The Prime

:33:35. > :33:37.to leave the European Union would be swapping certainty for uncertainty.

:33:38. > :33:41.What do you make this afternoon? Well, staying in the European Union,

:33:42. > :33:44.with the risks of the euro, with what's happening with Europe's

:33:45. > :33:48.borders, with our inability to make our own laws and having laws applied

:33:49. > :33:52.to us from the European Union carries risks of its own. Both sides

:33:53. > :33:56.have their version of risk. I think that we, as a country, should be

:33:57. > :34:00.able to make our own laws and control our own borders, which is

:34:01. > :34:04.why I want to leave. Because we cannot do that while we're in the

:34:05. > :34:09.European Union. The Prime Minister saying Britain can have the best of

:34:10. > :34:14.both worlds being in the common market but not obliged to join the

:34:15. > :34:19.single currency or join the Schengen arrangement for a borderless Europe.

:34:20. > :34:22.It doesn't matter whether we're in shownen or not -- Schengen or not,

:34:23. > :34:26.people can move across Europe freely. When they're able to get

:34:27. > :34:32.citizenship in Europe, they'll be able to come to the United Kingdom.

:34:33. > :34:36.In the last decade, over 1. 16 million people have come from the EU

:34:37. > :34:38.to live in Britain. Those who are coming into Europe at the moment

:34:39. > :34:42.to live in Britain. Those who are from Syria, from Afghanistan, from

:34:43. > :34:45.Pakistan and so on, once they have citizenship, will be entitled to

:34:46. > :34:50.come to the UK and there's nothing we can do about that. Not only does

:34:51. > :34:53.it put pressure on school places and housing and the Health Service, but

:34:54. > :34:57.we don't know the security situation because we don't know who those

:34:58. > :35:01.people actually are. How about the economic argument that Britain

:35:02. > :35:07.trades with Europe, Scotland in particular, exports food and drink

:35:08. > :35:13.and many other exports to the European Union, those might be

:35:14. > :35:21.jeopardised by tariff barriers. It's not very often I would mention Jim's

:35:22. > :35:24.intervention this week. We import from Europe ?67 billion worth of

:35:25. > :35:29.goods and services more than we sell to them. Therefore it's in their

:35:30. > :35:33.interest that we maintain a free trade environment. You can't

:35:34. > :35:36.guarantee that. The Prime Minister and others are challenging you to

:35:37. > :35:39.say what Britain outside Europe would look like. You cannot

:35:40. > :35:47.guarantee there would be that trade deal. It's logical that will happen.

:35:48. > :35:53.Because otherwise, is Mrs Merkel going to tell BMW they can't sell

:35:54. > :35:58.cars to Britain to punish us for leaving the EU, the Italians won't

:35:59. > :36:01.sell us furniture? The European leaders won't cause unemployment and

:36:02. > :36:04.economic hardship in their own countries to punish Britain. It's a

:36:05. > :36:07.economic hardship in their own scare story, which I do not believe

:36:08. > :36:10.stands up to scrutiny. We heard earlier from Iain Duncan Smith

:36:11. > :36:13.saying that he believes there are smears being used in this campaign.

:36:14. > :36:19.Are you concerned about that as well? Negative campaigning is always

:36:20. > :36:24.used. Let's be honest about that. But it has to be credible. Yesterday

:36:25. > :36:28.we had the re-release of a previous flop in the Calais story, which had

:36:29. > :36:32.already been blown out of the water by the French interior minister. If

:36:33. > :36:36.you're going to use negative campaigning, at least get it right.

:36:37. > :36:40.You don't think it's credible to make those arguments and complaints

:36:41. > :36:44.about the British exit? When you make the arguments as were made over

:36:45. > :36:47.Calais this week, it's probably a good idea to make sure that the

:36:48. > :36:52.people on the other side are not going to contradict you. Tell me

:36:53. > :36:55.about the situation for Scotland with regards to this campaign, we're

:36:56. > :37:01.at the Scottish Conservative Conference. The party here is

:37:02. > :37:05.divided over the yes of Europe. You have the SNP advocating from the

:37:06. > :37:09.leadership certainly, and no signs of great division there, but from

:37:10. > :37:13.the leadership advocating membership of the European Union being

:37:14. > :37:16.retained. Do you welcome their support or do you find it curious?

:37:17. > :37:21.It is slightly curious to say we don't want to be governed from

:37:22. > :37:25.London because it's too far away, we'd rather be governed from

:37:26. > :37:29.Brussels. I always found that a bizarre thing for the SNP to say. In

:37:30. > :37:33.a sense it doesn't in that the SNP are often driven not just by their

:37:34. > :37:38.pro-Scottishness but by their anti-Englishness. At least they're

:37:39. > :37:41.consistent to that extent. Do you believe the Conservatives can

:37:42. > :37:45.regroup after the referendum, regardless of the outcome? Or will

:37:46. > :37:49.the divisions of the referendum itself cause problems for party

:37:50. > :37:53.unity? I think that's largely dependent on how well we treat one

:37:54. > :37:59.another in the run up to and during the referendum. If we treat one

:38:00. > :38:03.another's views with a sense of tolerance and a sense of decency,

:38:04. > :38:07.then it will be easier for us to come back together afterwards. If we

:38:08. > :38:12.build up artificial divisions and go from the passions that will be

:38:13. > :38:16.generated by the debate into temper and pep lance, that will make it

:38:17. > :38:20.much more difficult. Thank you very much for joining us.

:38:21. > :38:23.Europe has been a popular topic among many members, the merits of

:38:24. > :38:29.remaining in the union was discussed at length in a session earlier. From

:38:30. > :38:33.the Czech Republic the MEP, the president of the alliance of

:38:34. > :38:37.European Conservatives, and reformists, spoke first to Egypt

:38:38. > :38:42.session. -- to open the session. I have the honour to speak on behalf

:38:43. > :38:46.of the AECR, the political family of which I am president and

:38:47. > :38:52.Conservative Party, including Scottish Conservatives, a proud

:38:53. > :38:56.member of. There was no such thing like the AECR 12 years ago. Thanks

:38:57. > :38:59.to the efforts of the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, and other

:39:00. > :39:04.European political leaders, we made it real. We made it the third

:39:05. > :39:11.largest European political party and we made it a main political force,

:39:12. > :39:19.which is fighting for the idea of European superstate. What we want

:39:20. > :39:23.and promote is slim, deregulated, decentralised, flexible cooperation

:39:24. > :39:29.of states and nations, not something which is run by Brussels elites.

:39:30. > :39:34.What UK Conservatives, including Scottish Conservatives, are

:39:35. > :39:40.promoting fits perfectly to our intentions. On European debate here,

:39:41. > :39:45.believe me, it is none of my business to interfere or to advise

:39:46. > :39:53.you what to do in your referendum, but I can only hope, on a personal

:39:54. > :39:58.level that UK and Scotland, including, will vote to stay,

:39:59. > :40:11.because I hope that you will not leave us alone in that, just with

:40:12. > :40:15.German cooperatismer... APPLAUSE

:40:16. > :40:20.It's your decision. In my few words this afternoon to you about a theme

:40:21. > :40:24.which the Prime Minister has touched on, but which was not specifically

:40:25. > :40:25.one of the four boxes that had to be ticked in his difficult

:40:26. > :40:29.one of the four boxes that had to be negotiations, that is the subject of

:40:30. > :40:36.security. I am the justice spokesman. I do all of the - Ian

:40:37. > :40:39.mentioned immigration - but I do border controls, all the issues

:40:40. > :40:44.regarding terrorism and major criminality. In particular, I deal

:40:45. > :40:51.with the exchange of information which goes on now on a regular and

:40:52. > :40:54.proper basis between the different intelligence agencies and police

:40:55. > :40:59.forces through the European Union. I think that the reform agenda, which

:41:00. > :41:04.the Prime Minister seeks, not only has the effect of having immediacy

:41:05. > :41:08.in terms of the results, but it also has set a train going in Europe,

:41:09. > :41:12.which I'm convinced is going to change the mood of the continent for

:41:13. > :41:19.the future. Let's face it, ladies and gentleman, the most important

:41:20. > :41:24.thing isn't so much what I or even many of you feel would be good for

:41:25. > :41:28.this country, it is very important that whatever we do, in this very

:41:29. > :41:35.difficult debate, we make sure that we are doing things which allows

:41:36. > :41:39.future generations, our children, our grandchildren, to have the

:41:40. > :41:44.benefit and make the decisions for themselves in the future. Those of

:41:45. > :41:48.you in the room who are as obsessed as I am with House of Cards will

:41:49. > :41:54.know that tonight, the next season will be available for download. I

:41:55. > :41:57.like to say that because I am the Chief Whip of the Conservative

:41:58. > :42:01.delegation. Who knows what might happen going forward as we begin to

:42:02. > :42:05.realise exacting what whipping means when you're going to make things

:42:06. > :42:08.happen out in Europe. We do face some serious challenges out there.

:42:09. > :42:11.I'm going to come onto though. Before I do that, let me talk

:42:12. > :42:18.through what it is I do in Brussels. A number of people might wonder that

:42:19. > :42:21.question. Well, I am my party's spokesman on fisheries. I am the

:42:22. > :42:26.spokesman on energy and climate change. I also sit on the inquiry

:42:27. > :42:30.committee that's investigating the deesel-gate scandal looking into

:42:31. > :42:34.Volkswagen and its behaviour over its cheap devices. I say these

:42:35. > :42:38.things because I am in the room and if you're not in the room, you're

:42:39. > :42:42.not part of the deal. If you are not part of the deal, then you don't

:42:43. > :42:46.have that influence. I want to say that very clearly. I say it clearly

:42:47. > :42:51.because I'm struck quite often when I speak to colleagues from some of

:42:52. > :42:55.the other political parties, who certainly in Scotland, will time and

:42:56. > :42:58.time and time again blame Westminster or blame the Prime

:42:59. > :43:04.Minister for his failures out in Brussels. I always take time to

:43:05. > :43:10.remind the SNP that on many, many, many issues in the European

:43:11. > :43:13.Parliament they are decided by core decision so that we in the

:43:14. > :43:16.Parliament and council of ministers determine them together. Why is that

:43:17. > :43:21.important? I'll tell you why it's important. That means that an MEP is

:43:22. > :43:25.empowered to make the law. That means that you can amend the law,

:43:26. > :43:31.for good or ill, and you can do that. It also means that the SNP and

:43:32. > :43:35.their political group are part of that law-making process. Why do I

:43:36. > :43:39.tell you that? Their political group is the Green group. Let that sink in

:43:40. > :43:44.for a second. Their political group is the Green group. When we have

:43:45. > :43:51.those farming negotiations or when we have those fishing negotiations,

:43:52. > :43:55.in the room, negotiating on behalf of their group, representing

:43:56. > :44:01.Scotland fishermen are people who would happily right now tie boats up

:44:02. > :44:04.to the quayside. I remind them that every single time they say it's

:44:05. > :44:07.something wrong with Westminster or something wrong with what's going on

:44:08. > :44:14.down south. They are part of making the law. The fact that abdicate that

:44:15. > :44:18.responsibility and give it to Green colleagues is a reminder they of how

:44:19. > :44:23.little respect they have for those issues they deal with in Brussels.

:44:24. > :44:31.That was the Conservative MEP, Ian dungeon there. Earlier -- Duncan

:44:32. > :44:35.there. Earlier Brian met up with representatives from both sides of

:44:36. > :44:38.the debate. A Big Debate here is the future of Britain's membership of

:44:39. > :44:42.the European Union. Joined now by two candidates for the forth coming

:44:43. > :44:46.elections to discuss that. Ross Thompson, thanks for joining us,

:44:47. > :44:50.Adam Tompkins too. Ross you've taken the view that on balance Britain

:44:51. > :44:56.should leave, why? I think that it's time that the UK took back powers

:44:57. > :45:00.over the justice and welfare system and the borders. The best way to

:45:01. > :45:04.secure that is by voting to leave the EU. That's going to be in our

:45:05. > :45:07.interests. We can continue to work with our European partners. It opens

:45:08. > :45:09.up opportunities to work with other across the globe. I can only see

:45:10. > :45:14.up opportunities to work with other benefits coming from it. It's about

:45:15. > :45:17.sovereignty then according to Ross. We already have sovereignty. It's

:45:18. > :45:21.the law of the United Kingdom that the United Kingdom Parliament can

:45:22. > :45:28.make and unmake any law whatsoever. The UK Supreme Court has made it

:45:29. > :45:31.clear in recent cases if there's a conflict between the United Kingdom

:45:32. > :45:35.legislation and eawe legislation, priority would be given to the

:45:36. > :45:38.British legislation. Sovereignty means the power to choose. What

:45:39. > :45:41.David Cameron successful negotiated means the power to choose. What

:45:42. > :45:43.for the United Kingdom last month in Brussels was the power of Britain to

:45:44. > :45:45.for the United Kingdom last month in choose which bits of the European

:45:46. > :45:51.project suit us and which bits don't. That's what sovereignty is.

:45:52. > :45:55.Are you impressed bit Prime Minister's -- by the Prime

:45:56. > :45:58.Minister's dole? I am. When journalists first contacted me

:45:59. > :46:02.saying what are you doing in June, I was undecided. I wanted to take the

:46:03. > :46:09.time to read what David Cameron has achieved. It's a Hurricane Lean

:46:10. > :46:13.effort. He's -- hurculean effort. But I don't see the changes as

:46:14. > :46:18.irreversible. Our relationship with Europe has to be permanently

:46:19. > :46:22.changed. I think that can only be with treaty change. We know that the

:46:23. > :46:25.European Court makes decisions based on what is within treaties. You

:46:26. > :46:30.think the integration of the European Union is rolling on and you

:46:31. > :46:33.don't see this stopping it? I don't see this reversing any of the drive

:46:34. > :46:36.towards closer union. I appreciate what the Prime Minister has said,

:46:37. > :46:39.and the pleef that we'll be able to and the pleef that we'll be able to

:46:40. > :46:42.-- belief that we will prevent that, and the pleef that we'll be able to

:46:43. > :46:44.I don't see it. That's where we disagree. One of the core things

:46:45. > :46:48.I don't see it. That's where we that the Prime Minister successfully

:46:49. > :46:54.negotiated was uniquely amongst the 28 member states, with the unanimous

:46:55. > :46:58.agreement of all 28 member states, ever closer union, will no longary

:46:59. > :47:03.ply to the United Kingdom. This far, yes, but no further. We've never

:47:04. > :47:06.been entirely sure how much of our sovereignty we've had to share by

:47:07. > :47:11.virtue of our commitment to the European Union. Now we know. The

:47:12. > :47:14.court of justice will never be able to decide cases against the United

:47:15. > :47:17.Kingdom on the basis of ever closer union.

:47:18. > :47:36.Now the economy and jobs. Those who support Brexit say those would be

:47:37. > :47:40.keen to keep dealing with Britain. Yes but desperation doesn't mean a

:47:41. > :47:49.trade deal can be negotiated quickly. It took seven years to

:47:50. > :47:52.negotiate between the EU and the United States. Of course, Britain

:47:53. > :47:55.would continue to trade with the EU even if we left. But the terms would

:47:56. > :48:01.be more expensive and it would take even if we left. But the terms would

:48:02. > :48:07.a long time. The Prime Minister argued there would be potential

:48:08. > :48:13.tariff barriers. I think those who produce cheese and wine in France

:48:14. > :48:19.and want to sell us Mercedes and BMW will continue to do that. For every

:48:20. > :48:24.three pounds we sell to Europe, we buy back five pounds. There is a

:48:25. > :48:28.huge market for European producers. We want to open up opportunities to

:48:29. > :48:35.work with the rest of the world. The council in Aberdeen want to open

:48:36. > :48:39.opportunities with Japan. Others within the European Union. The point

:48:40. > :48:43.about trade with the European Union is not that we can only trade with

:48:44. > :48:48.them, we trade with the whole of world. Half of British trade wis the

:48:49. > :48:52.EU. The difference is the EU is still a political project and we

:48:53. > :48:57.want to bring it back to what it was, trade and enhancing trade and

:48:58. > :49:00.benefitting through trade. The EU as a political project is going in a

:49:01. > :49:07.direction I don't think Britain can follow. We have an EU president and

:49:08. > :49:11.an EU foreign policy Tzar and these things are not in Britain's

:49:12. > :49:15.interest. So they're moving, you say Britain is no longer part of that,

:49:16. > :49:17.interest. So they're moving, you say but the ever closer union is the

:49:18. > :49:26.objective and Britain may be swept along with

:49:27. > :49:32.objective and Britain may be swept and not for us. That is the new pick

:49:33. > :49:40.and mix Europe. I agree with Ross, I don't want to be part of a European

:49:41. > :49:48.superstate or a European army. But there is no danger of that. No

:49:49. > :49:54.danger of that? That is why I backed leave. I don't see anything that is

:49:55. > :49:58.irreversible in the UK could alter that. You never

:49:59. > :49:59.irreversible in the UK could alter into government next. I hope this is

:50:00. > :50:05.a once just as with independence. But I

:50:06. > :50:10.think this is the opportunity to take back control and other states

:50:11. > :50:23.survive out with the EU and we can do the same. Thank you both. Let's

:50:24. > :50:28.stick with the referendum and John Curtice is with us. There are some

:50:29. > :50:33.deep divisions in the Conservative Party. How can those two sides come

:50:34. > :50:36.together again and even work together in the case of Iain Duncan

:50:37. > :50:41.Smith and the Prime Minister? There is an issue there. The more fierce

:50:42. > :50:45.the referendum debate gets, the more in particular as it were there are

:50:46. > :50:50.arguments about the merits of people who are putting forward the

:50:51. > :50:56.arguments, the more difficult it will be to come together after. But

:50:57. > :51:00.the question Ruth Davidson must be asking herself is why is the Prime

:51:01. > :51:07.Minister embarking on a referendum in which we know his party is

:51:08. > :51:10.seriously divided, on which in fact probably almost undoubtedly the

:51:11. > :51:15.Prime Minister himself is in a minority among his own party and

:51:16. > :51:20.only has around a half of his Parliamentary party behind him and

:51:21. > :51:24.where even in Scotland probably only 45% of those who vote Conservative

:51:25. > :51:29.are on the same side as the Prime Minister. It is remarkable that

:51:30. > :51:34.party leader should opt to choose to hold a referendum on this and for to

:51:35. > :51:39.allow the campaign to cut across what is the biggest set of midterm

:51:40. > :51:43.elections in the UK between now and the European elections. Remember it

:51:44. > :51:49.is not just Scotland that goes to the poll in May, it is Wales,

:51:50. > :51:52.Scotland and most of England and Wales in local or police and crime

:51:53. > :51:58.commission elections. The divisions will be exposed. Ruth Davidson is

:51:59. > :52:04.arguing to remain. Other counter part in Wales is campaigning to

:52:05. > :52:09.leave. Zac Goldsmith is arguing for leave. The divisions will be exposed

:52:10. > :52:12.during the campaign. The worry the Conservatives must have is that

:52:13. > :52:17.having, we have had 12 months of in truth the Labour Party's divisions

:52:18. > :52:21.being exposed widely, and they have done them no good in the opinion

:52:22. > :52:26.polls. The worry for the Conservatives is whether or not

:52:27. > :52:30.between now and May voters say to themselves, hang on, these

:52:31. > :52:33.Conservatives are divided as well. They're arguing against each other.

:52:34. > :52:38.Why should we vote for them? In Scotland in particular there is a

:52:39. > :52:43.particular issue, which is that if indeed you are in favour of leaving

:52:44. > :52:50.the EU and you want to reflect that view not just on June 23rd, but on

:52:51. > :52:56.May 5th the only choose is to vote for Ukip, given Ruth Davidson's

:52:57. > :53:00.position. The truth is most opinion polls suggest Ukip are going nowhere

:53:01. > :53:04.north of the border. One poll has painted a very different picture.

:53:05. > :53:09.But there must be a question mark as to whether or not some of those

:53:10. > :53:16.voters who were otherwise thinking about voting for the Conservatives

:53:17. > :53:21.will say, the Prime Minister is in favour of remain, how do I get my

:53:22. > :53:26.views across? Maybe I should vote Ukip. When we hear the debates,

:53:27. > :53:31.they're inpenetrable for a lot of people listening. The different

:53:32. > :53:38.trade negotiations or border controller. Yes, they're complicated

:53:39. > :53:42.arguments. You saw that session with both the Czech leader of the

:53:43. > :53:45.European Parliament group and other serve MPs, they were having to

:53:46. > :53:53.explain to people what they do. And there is no truth that Europe is an

:53:54. > :53:57.enstugs, it is clear what this referendum will be about. You saw it

:53:58. > :54:01.in the contribution from Liam Fox and the Prime Minister, the

:54:02. > :54:05.principal argument for the leave campaigners is the question of

:54:06. > :54:10.immigration and that we are concerned that for as long as we are

:54:11. > :54:15.in the EU the United Kingdom will experience very high levels of

:54:16. > :54:17.inward migration. The remain side are essentially going to focus on

:54:18. > :54:22.the economic argument and to say are essentially going to focus on

:54:23. > :54:26.only by remaining inside the EU can we protect our economic interest.

:54:27. > :54:32.The decision for the voters is to decide which of the two arguments

:54:33. > :54:34.they will go with. Most agree with leave on immigration, but most agree

:54:35. > :54:38.with the Prime Minister on the leave on immigration, but most agree

:54:39. > :54:43.economy. We are in the run up to Ruth Davidson's speech and we are

:54:44. > :54:54.joined by Brian Taylor. We are discussing Europe. How long will she

:54:55. > :54:58.spend on this on her speech? I think the bulk of her address will be

:54:59. > :55:04.devoted to the elections in May, because of point John made, you

:55:05. > :55:08.heard David Mundell say he hopes in practice the referendum campaign in

:55:09. > :55:14.Scotland won't start until May 6th, after the elections. I think that

:55:15. > :55:19.might be a vain hope. Because the European question is so gigantic and

:55:20. > :55:26.such a large issue. Not saying the Holyrood elections are small, but

:55:27. > :55:32.the European referendum for the whole UK is enormous. And it will

:55:33. > :55:38.tend to be the area that is focussed on. The Conservatives are adamant

:55:39. > :55:41.they can segment the two arguments and talk about the Scottish

:55:42. > :55:46.elections and then invite people to consider the question of the

:55:47. > :55:51.referendum. Finally on Europe, how as an issue has it dominated this

:55:52. > :55:56.conference? No, I wouldn't say it has. It has been on the fringe in

:55:57. > :56:00.the morning and at lunchtime and they had a session this afternoon

:56:01. > :56:04.and we heard a couple of the lead speakers there. But they're as

:56:05. > :56:09.concerned about the economy and other xhes and -- questions and

:56:10. > :56:13.concerned about the economy and they're concerned about winning

:56:14. > :56:17.seats in May. You have that problem of the dual focus on the referendum

:56:18. > :56:22.and the election that may cause confusion in the voters' minds. The

:56:23. > :56:25.Conservatives are adamant they can Coral opinion and take a different

:56:26. > :56:36.perspective for the referendum in June. Thank you. We will will let

:56:37. > :56:43.you take your seat. Ruth Davidson has been leader for five years, we

:56:44. > :56:48.were discussing, she made an impact on the Conservatives, but still

:56:49. > :56:55.maybe there is still that bedrock vote. Yes, two crucial points. Ruth

:56:56. > :56:59.David sop was only first elected as a member of the Scottish Parliament

:57:00. > :57:03.in 2011 and took on the leadership early in her career as a politician.

:57:04. > :57:08.I think it is a remarkable tribute to her that she is regarded as an

:57:09. > :57:11.authoritative, respected leader of the Conservative Party. And

:57:12. > :57:17.particularly her debating skills came across well in the debates in

:57:18. > :57:22.front of the 2015 UK general election and some viewers may have

:57:23. > :57:32.#2340e9 issed in the hall -- noticed in the hall, one slogan is

:57:33. > :57:37.something,... Strong leadership. So the Scottish Conservatives have

:57:38. > :57:42.decided our brand may not be that good, but we think Ruth is a brand

:57:43. > :57:47.we can sell. That is a tribute we can sell, when a party wants to

:57:48. > :57:51.project them, rather than the broader image of the party. There is

:57:52. > :57:57.no truth. That is a remarkable achievement for a relatively young,

:57:58. > :58:03.relatively junior politician, who frankly is now commands the Scottish

:58:04. > :58:09.Conservatives in a way no one has since the advent of devolution.

:58:10. > :58:12.Annabel Goldie was respected and liked, but she had more difficulty

:58:13. > :58:16.in taking the party in the direction she wanted to go in than Ruth

:58:17. > :58:21.Davidson seems to have done. We are I think on the two minute count down

:58:22. > :58:27.to her speech. Should we talk about health and wanting to protect health

:58:28. > :58:31.spending in Scotland, doesn't sound a typical Tory policy. No, until you

:58:32. > :58:36.remind yourself that the Conservative Party still does

:58:37. > :58:39.relatively well among older voters, so we are seeing the Labour Party

:58:40. > :58:44.and the Liberal Democrats in a sense say, actually, we want to raise more

:58:45. > :58:51.in tax and what will we spend it on? Education. On the issue that

:58:52. > :58:54.concerns younger voters. In contrast the Conservatives, it is

:58:55. > :58:59.interesting, that her key, one of her key pitch bes is I want more

:59:00. > :59:02.public spending, which is not usually the message from Ruth

:59:03. > :59:06.Davidson. But the spend being she wants to focus is the health

:59:07. > :59:11.service, which older people use the health service more and therefore it

:59:12. > :59:15.is the issue of public services that most concerns older people. So there

:59:16. > :59:18.is a sense she is playing a tune that is probably one that her target

:59:19. > :59:24.audience is more likely to be find that is probably one that her target

:59:25. > :59:29.happy with and perhaps we shouldn't be so surprised. As we heard, it

:59:30. > :59:37.gives her a chance to attack the SNP. Yes, although of course as you

:59:38. > :59:42.will have gathered from Brian's questioning of her, this is a

:59:43. > :59:48.disputed area. The SNP argue when it comes to current spending to capital

:59:49. > :59:55.spending they have passed on the Barnett consequentials. It will be

:59:56. > :00:00.interesting to see... OK, I think we are, we have Ruth Davidson about to

:00:01. > :00:03.appear before conference. There she is taking the applause from the

:00:04. > :00:17.party members about to make her speech.

:00:18. > :00:28.Thank you. Conference, four years ago, I stood for the leadership of

:00:29. > :00:33.this party. I promised three things: That we would play our full part in

:00:34. > :00:37.a successful referendum campaign. That we would go from our worst

:00:38. > :00:43.result in 2011 to our best ever result in one Parliamentary term.

:00:44. > :00:48.And that I'd bring forward the next generation of Scottish Conservatives

:00:49. > :00:55.to take our party forward. Friends, we are doing all three. This

:00:56. > :01:01.election will see a new start for our party - more votes, more MSPs

:01:02. > :01:06.than ever before, more new faces and you've seen many of them speak

:01:07. > :01:11.today. From business, from the professions, from charities and

:01:12. > :01:16.health, from academia and education, the face of modern Scotland, but

:01:17. > :01:19.united by a good, old-fashioned willingness to serve. To serve their

:01:20. > :01:23.communities, to serve their party willingness to serve. To serve their

:01:24. > :01:28.and most of all, to serve the country. I am proud of the team that

:01:29. > :01:42.I am leading into this election and you should be too.

:01:43. > :01:47.I am leading into this election and a high bar. As a young leader, I

:01:48. > :01:53.I am leading into this election and experienced MSP group showing me

:01:54. > :01:58.I am leading into this election and a bit like an old hand myself. I

:01:59. > :02:01.thank each and every one of my retiring colleagues for their

:02:02. > :02:05.service. For they have truly given us the platform on which this new

:02:06. > :02:12.generation will build. Thank you. Thank you, all.

:02:13. > :02:14.APPLAUSE But now is not a time to talk to

:02:15. > :02:20.ourselves. It is But now is not a time to talk to

:02:21. > :02:24.the country. And today, I want to speak very directly to people right

:02:25. > :02:32.the country. And today, I want to across Scotland. I want to show that

:02:33. > :02:36.the country. And today, I want to can speak for you, to show how every

:02:37. > :02:38.cross, next to the Scottish Conservatives, is a vote that holds

:02:39. > :02:42.the SNP to account, and which Conservatives, is a vote that holds

:02:43. > :02:47.a clear message that we're done with the turmoil and the division of the

:02:48. > :02:52.last few years, that we deserve a Government which focuses on the

:02:53. > :02:54.things that matter to everyone, not just to them. It is time. It is

:02:55. > :02:59.things that matter to everyone, not that Scotland had a strong

:03:00. > :03:03.Opposition that's got what it takes to bring the SNP band wagon to a

:03:04. > :03:08.halt. If that's what you want, then I ask for your vote. I promise to

:03:09. > :03:13.serve you with every fibre of my being. You don't have to agree with

:03:14. > :03:17.every word I say, you just have to want a Scotland to work better, to

:03:18. > :03:24.believe that something needs to change. And if Scotland chooses not

:03:25. > :03:26.to change the Government then it should consider changing the

:03:27. > :03:28.Opposition and conference, we are ready to serve.

:03:29. > :03:41.APPLAUSE Friends, this job has been the

:03:42. > :03:46.privilege of my life. And throughout my tenure I've tried to do just one

:03:47. > :03:51.thing - to show that this party, that our party is on the side of

:03:52. > :03:56.working families in Scotland, that once again, we're a force in the

:03:57. > :04:00.land, that we have ideas and plans and improvement, that we are

:04:01. > :04:05.committed to making people's lives better, to making Scotland work

:04:06. > :04:07.better. Together, I believe that we've achieved that over these last

:04:08. > :04:11.four years. We saw it during the we've achieved that over these last

:04:12. > :04:14.referendum campaign, when we were out every night speaking to our

:04:15. > :04:19.neighbours, standing up for the country, a cause that we won. And

:04:20. > :04:24.we've seen it in the months since, when we've led the way in creating a

:04:25. > :04:28.new era for our Scottish Parliament, a remarkable achievement by our

:04:29. > :04:32.brilliant Secretary of State, David Mundell. That same passion, that

:04:33. > :04:37.energy, that vigour, I see it today in the faces that I can see in this

:04:38. > :04:42.hall. Some of them are old, and I won't mention any names. And many

:04:43. > :04:46.are new, who now want to join me in providing that strong Opposition

:04:47. > :04:50.that our country so desperately needs. The Prime Minister mentioned

:04:51. > :04:53.a few of those names in his tremendous speech this morning.

:04:54. > :04:57.There are hundreds more, working every day for our party and country.

:04:58. > :05:01.Put all of this together, and I believe that we are a party with a

:05:02. > :05:05.fresh sense of purpose, a party that has worked hard, that has grown

:05:06. > :05:09.together and that is committed to changing our country for the better,

:05:10. > :05:13.not sitting on the bench, but working on the field, ready to take

:05:14. > :05:18.on all comers. In the first few weeks of this campaign, my sense is

:05:19. > :05:23.this: People across Scotland get that too. They've seen us in action.

:05:24. > :05:27.They've seen us putting in the graft. They've seen us standing up

:05:28. > :05:32.for the country that we love. And they've seen that the slurs and the

:05:33. > :05:37.smears that our opponents throw at us don't ring true. Someone once

:05:38. > :05:42.told me that there's two types of Tory. There's the bogey men that our

:05:43. > :05:47.opponents tar us as and then there's the ones that you've actually met.

:05:48. > :05:50.The people who are giving back to their community, optimistic,

:05:51. > :05:53.believing in a better Scotland and not afried to put their -- afraid to

:05:54. > :05:57.put their shoulder to the wheel to make it happen. Every other party in

:05:58. > :06:03.Scotland believes in Government knows best. We believe people know

:06:04. > :06:08.better. We want them to have every opportunity to get on in life. Men

:06:09. > :06:14.and women of conviction, who believe that we draw strength from being a

:06:15. > :06:18.united country, not a divided one. And the good news is, over this

:06:19. > :06:21.time, I'm willing to bet, that more people have met a Conservative

:06:22. > :06:25.campaigner in Scotland than at any other time in recent history. We

:06:26. > :06:30.have knocked on enough doors, my friends. I have met every stripe of

:06:31. > :06:35.the great Scottish voter and believe me, they do not give their vote

:06:36. > :06:39.cheaply and nor should they. But I do think that they're measuring us

:06:40. > :06:41.up, that they're listening to what we have to say, so let the message

:06:42. > :06:48.go out - we are not cowed by our we have to say, so let the message

:06:49. > :06:52.opponents. We're not lotting their lazy -- letting their lazy kicks go

:06:53. > :06:55.unchal engedz. We're a party of principle. We are taking our message

:06:56. > :07:01.to every corner of this land and asking people to let us do a job for

:07:02. > :07:04.them. To let us be their voice. That's the difference these last few

:07:05. > :07:06.years have made. I don't know about you, but I am proud to have been a

:07:07. > :07:18.part of it. APPLAUSE

:07:19. > :07:23.So, we have fought hard, won ground and we are back in the centre stage

:07:24. > :07:27.of Scottish politics. As I've said already, we are on course this May

:07:28. > :07:31.to record our best ever result in the history of the Scottish

:07:32. > :07:36.Parliament. More MSPs, more supporters, the only pro-UK party in

:07:37. > :07:41.Scotland that's on the up. We do that in May for a simple reason -

:07:42. > :07:46.many people across Scotland, looking at the polls, are asking themselves

:07:47. > :07:50.a question. In a country where one party dominates, who is going to

:07:51. > :07:55.hold the SNP to account? Who is going to do the job that every good

:07:56. > :07:59.democracy needs to offer a strong Opposition? Who is going to be the

:08:00. > :08:02.voice that stands up for all those Scots who don't want to go back to

:08:03. > :08:08.the division of the last few years? They want us to go forward together.

:08:09. > :08:13.Who rejects the Nationalist view that the referendum wasn't a choice

:08:14. > :08:18.made, just a decision depered. But who believe, as I do, that it was a

:08:19. > :08:25.once in a generation event and who now want, as I want, to see Scotland

:08:26. > :08:30.come back together again. My conviction is this: This is the

:08:31. > :08:34.party that can offer that voice. It is people in this party, who aren't

:08:35. > :08:38.prepared to shrug their shoulders, sit back and accept defeat, as

:08:39. > :08:43.Labour seems ready to do, whose lost their fight along with their voters,

:08:44. > :08:50.but who, instead, are prepared to show a bit of spirit. I keep being

:08:51. > :08:55.told that Scotland is turning into a one-party state. Here's what I see.

:08:56. > :08:58.Not while I'm here. Not while this party is prepared to stand up for

:08:59. > :09:03.the majority of people right across Scotland who want to keep it a

:09:04. > :09:07.united nation. APPLAUSE

:09:08. > :09:10.At the core of everything that we do will be that founding belief, that

:09:11. > :09:13.founding belief that our country, the country that we kept together

:09:14. > :09:20.nearly 18 months ago, which still needs to be fought for, every hour,

:09:21. > :09:23.every day and every week. We thought that the referendum was the end of

:09:24. > :09:28.it. But what we have learned since is that they have no intention of

:09:29. > :09:33.respecting that result. And it shouldn't surprise us. Dogs bark,

:09:34. > :09:39.ducks quack and the SNP are for breaking up Britain. I have said

:09:40. > :09:44.this time and again. We don't have to be here. Nicola Sturgeon can heal

:09:45. > :09:47.the divisions in our country by simply repeating the words she

:09:48. > :09:51.claimed before - once in a generation. Lord knows, I've

:09:52. > :09:57.challenged her often enough to say them again, but she hasn't and she

:09:58. > :10:03.won't. So for as long as there is one party still fighting to end the

:10:04. > :10:06.United Kingdom, sometimes openly and sometimes by stealth, I will

:10:07. > :10:11.continue our fight to keep our country together, not because I want

:10:12. > :10:15.to be locked in an endless battle over our constitutional future, but

:10:16. > :10:21.because, as things stand, the SNP remain a clear and present danger to

:10:22. > :10:25.the stability and unity of the United Kingdom and because someone

:10:26. > :10:36.has to make that stand. APPLAUSE

:10:37. > :10:41.Labour and the Lib Dems care more about winning back votes and voters

:10:42. > :10:46.that their parties have lost than standing up for the result that

:10:47. > :10:49.their parties helped to win, the country, that they helped to keep

:10:50. > :10:52.together. That's why quite incredibly, they've

:10:53. > :10:55.together. That's why quite they'll both allow their supporters,

:10:56. > :10:57.candidates and MSPs to campaign for independence if there was ever a

:10:58. > :11:03.second referendum. It is naive independence if there was ever a

:11:04. > :11:13.it is dangerous. Do Labour and the independence if there was ever a

:11:14. > :11:16.the agenda? That she's going to walk away from a lifetime's work? Of

:11:17. > :11:19.course not. We may have won the battle, but she

:11:20. > :11:21.course not. We may have won the war and it's one

:11:22. > :11:24.course not. We may have won the fight again and again. You only have

:11:25. > :11:29.to look at how many so-called triggers the SNP threaten us with.

:11:30. > :11:31.to look at how many so-called The union isn't optional. It's not

:11:32. > :11:37.when you're dress operate for voters to be traded away at

:11:38. > :11:37.when you're dress operate for voters -- desperate for voters. It's for

:11:38. > :11:44.our lives, our children's lives and our grand children's future. I stand

:11:45. > :11:47.for the stability ever Scotland within the United Kingdom and

:11:48. > :11:50.against the SNP's renewed ambition to take us out of that union. I am

:11:51. > :11:57.asking everyone in Scotland, who shares that belief to stand with me.

:11:58. > :12:01.Because if we do, the prize that awaits us is great. I look back over

:12:02. > :12:07.the last nine years of SNP Government and I see a string of

:12:08. > :12:11.wasted opportunities. All the goodwill and the political capital

:12:12. > :12:18.that could have been used to make our country better. So much of it

:12:19. > :12:20.wasted on constitutional bickering and a divisive referendum. White

:12:21. > :12:24.papers on independence, discussion and a divisive referendum. White

:12:25. > :12:26.papers on devo max, grievance and a divisive referendum. White

:12:27. > :12:36.on full fiscal autonomy. Conference, and a divisive referendum. White

:12:37. > :12:37.I say a vote for me and my team and a divisive referendum. White

:12:38. > :12:44.vote that stands and a divisive referendum. White

:12:45. > :12:53.on getting this country flying again.

:12:54. > :12:57.APPLAUSE It's a vote for a strong, effective,

:12:58. > :13:00.united Opposition that will demand It's a vote for a strong, effective,

:13:01. > :13:05.the Scottish Government is focussed on dealing with the issues that

:13:06. > :13:09.matter to people - education, health, your family's finances, that

:13:10. > :13:12.calls time on the hubris that challenges

:13:13. > :13:16.calls time on the hubris that the bad laws. Bad law on offensive

:13:17. > :13:19.behaviour at football, bad law on state guardians for your children,

:13:20. > :13:22.bad law on the oversight of our single police force,

:13:23. > :13:26.bad law on the oversight of our challenge. The truth is that it's

:13:27. > :13:30.only us who can provide that challenge. It's

:13:31. > :13:36.Liberal Democrats. The results of the general election showed

:13:37. > :13:39.Liberal Democrats. The results of a wasted vote. If you live in

:13:40. > :13:40.Glasgow or Edinburgh, mainland Highlands, in central Scotland or in

:13:41. > :13:44.Glasgow or Edinburgh, mainland the west, you don't even have a Lib

:13:45. > :13:49.Dem MSP. You haven't had one for five years. The party is too weak to

:13:50. > :13:57.represent you at any Parliamentary level. What about Labour? I'm a

:13:58. > :14:01.Democrat, even as a centre-right politician, I'm prepared to accept

:14:02. > :14:06.that every country needs a centre left. But what has the UK ever done

:14:07. > :14:10.to deserve Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party?

:14:11. > :14:14.LAUGHTER I grew up watching Titans lead

:14:15. > :14:19.Labour. Now I feel nostalgic for Ed Miliband.

:14:20. > :14:22.LAUGHTER Actually, like many

:14:23. > :14:27.Labour-supporting friends of mine, it makes me angry. This is a party

:14:28. > :14:32.that is now led by a man who's happy to honour Irish terrorists while the

:14:33. > :14:37.Troubles were still ongoing. It's a party led by a man that says our

:14:38. > :14:42.nation's last line of defence should be submarines whose missiles are led

:14:43. > :14:48.in the shed, a man who imports economic advisors from Greece. As a

:14:49. > :14:53.second-rate manifesto for a student election, it might just about pass

:14:54. > :14:59.muster. But as a prospeck Tuesday for the Government of our country,

:15:00. > :15:04.it is dangerous and a copout. -- prospectus. We don't thank him

:15:05. > :15:07.enough sometimes, but let's say thank you to David Cameron for

:15:08. > :15:19.keeping this lot out of power and our country out of danger.

:15:20. > :15:26.APPLAUSE What we've learned over the last year, friends, is that this

:15:27. > :15:33.terrible affliction has spread. Corbynitis, a disease identified

:15:34. > :15:36.last summer amongst the millionaire latte supping socialists of

:15:37. > :15:42.Islington and Hampstead has spread first within London and then north,

:15:43. > :15:48.and now finally to Scottish Labour. Everywhere, the tell-tale signs, the

:15:49. > :15:51.party that once stood four square behind Britain's defences now voting

:15:52. > :15:55.to end our nuclear deterrent on the Clyde and with it thousands of jobs.

:15:56. > :15:59.Arm chair generals playing student politics is what the GMB called it.

:16:00. > :16:04.I stand with our trade unions on that.

:16:05. > :16:13.Itis, Now Scottish Labour's big idea - to take more money from every work

:16:14. > :16:18.family and turn Scotland into the most highly thanked part of the UK.

:16:19. > :16:23.That is not a plan for government, it is a panic-ridden plea for

:16:24. > :16:27.attention. It is not credible. It is like the policy of a party that is

:16:28. > :16:34.sinking with all hands lost. We don't know what to do to counter the

:16:35. > :16:41.SNP, says Labour, so let's put up taxes. Like never before we ask

:16:42. > :16:45.voters, take a look at us and I ask it in the full knowledge that the

:16:46. > :16:52.SNP is streets ahead in the polls now. I'm not measuring up the

:16:53. > :16:57.curtains for Butte I House yet. Even my optimism has a limit. But make no

:16:58. > :17:03.mistake, on the 5th May your vote is vital. It will make a huge

:17:04. > :17:09.difference to the way that our country is governed over the next

:17:10. > :17:13.five years. A strong, principled, Scottish Conservative opposition

:17:14. > :17:17.will set out a credible plan that will challenge the old orthodoxy and

:17:18. > :17:23.let me explain how. First, the health service. I want to make it

:17:24. > :17:27.clear there is a lot of nonsense spoken about the NHS. The truth is

:17:28. > :17:31.the experience of most patients of the health service is a good one.

:17:32. > :17:37.And it was certainly mine. Three weeks ago I was standing on a street

:17:38. > :17:44.stall in Edinburgh when a man introduced himself. Retired, he was

:17:45. > :17:49.a sur Jong at the -- surgeon at the sick kid's hospital. He was the man

:17:50. > :17:54.who put me back together when aged five I was struck by a truck. His

:17:55. > :18:00.application is the only reason I'm standing here and able to stand up

:18:01. > :18:07.at all. I couldn't stop myself, 32 years on and I bundled him into a

:18:08. > :18:14.hug and I'm not shurp it is the Edinburgh way, but I couldn't help

:18:15. > :18:18.ourselves. That is how our patients feel about doctors and staff who

:18:19. > :18:24.keep the show on the road and change people's lives when they're at their

:18:25. > :18:31.most sick and vulnerable. My sister is an NHS doctor and I know how

:18:32. > :18:34.amazing they are. But the pressures in general practice and recruitment

:18:35. > :18:40.are getting more intense. There is no way around this. If we want to

:18:41. > :18:44.maintain our nature toes the standards we expect, then increased

:18:45. > :18:46.spending must be part of the solution. So we can announce today

:18:47. > :18:50.spending must be part of the another key demand that we will make

:18:51. > :18:57.of the new Scottish government. It is a fact not well known that

:18:58. > :19:02.between 2010 and 2015 the SNP failed to keep up with spending increases

:19:03. > :19:09.on the NHS. During that time, spending on health in England rose

:19:10. > :19:14.by 7%. But only by 1% in Scotland. Hundreds of millions of pounds

:19:15. > :19:20.promised but never delivered. At a time when the population is ageing

:19:21. > :19:26.and demand is rising, the NHS needs our support. And that is why we

:19:27. > :19:33.propose that the Scottish Goth backs a new NHS guarantee. Spending on our

:19:34. > :19:37.health service should rise each year by whatever is highest, whether

:19:38. > :19:42.inflation 2% or the extra funding from Westminster. Every single penny

:19:43. > :19:47.passed on. That would mean that health spending was rising by more

:19:48. > :19:54.than ?1 billion by the end of the decade. Conference, we need to care

:19:55. > :19:58.for our NHS. The SNP has failed to do so over the last five years A

:19:59. > :20:09.vote for me and my team will make sure they have to. APPLAUSE.

:20:10. > :20:15.Conference, that can't be the whole story. Sensible changes that have

:20:16. > :20:22.the backing of the men and women who work in the NHS must be part of the

:20:23. > :20:28.equation too. So let's take one example, hospital charges. Currently

:20:29. > :20:37.there are no fewer than 40 targets that our nature is -- NHS is obliged

:20:38. > :20:42.to meet. Some are now damaging clinical care and hampering the

:20:43. > :20:45.treatment of patients. When do thirds of senior hospital doctors

:20:46. > :20:50.say the managerial agenda is getting in the way of them doing their job,

:20:51. > :20:56.you have to act. So here is what I'm proposing, let's have a full review

:20:57. > :21:02.of every one of the the 40 centrally set targets and set a test, every

:21:03. > :21:06.target helps more people survive and get better, then it should be kept.

:21:07. > :21:10.If it is simply micromanaging get better, then it should be kept.

:21:11. > :21:12.and pulls people from get better, then it should be kept.

:21:13. > :21:17.patients, it should be ditched. get better, then it should be kept.

:21:18. > :21:20.is the kind of debate we need. I make

:21:21. > :21:22.is the kind of debate we need. I government, let's get

:21:23. > :21:33.is the kind of debate we need. I and agree a cross party

:21:34. > :21:45.is the kind of debate we need. I right we will make sure we

:21:46. > :21:50.contribute to better government too. If the NHS needs a check-up, then so

:21:51. > :21:55.do our schools. Scotland as a nation has always understood that our

:21:56. > :22:02.future is linked to the education of our children. That for too many the

:22:03. > :22:06.ladder of opportunity is missing the most important rungs. It is not that

:22:07. > :22:12.the education system is poor, but my worry is we have settled into being

:22:13. > :22:16.stiflingly satisfactory when we should be striving for the best. It

:22:17. > :22:21.is important to acknowledge where things are going well. But we should

:22:22. > :22:30.haven't to accept a Scotland where only one in three S2 pupils can't

:22:31. > :22:37.count to the standard they should. Or a Scotland where you're more

:22:38. > :22:42.likely to be As if you come from an affluence background than a poor

:22:43. > :22:50.one. And we have 152,000 fewer places for students to take up in

:22:51. > :22:58.Scotland. We have to aspire to better. And it all boils down to

:22:59. > :23:08.leadership. I took part in a debate where two schools were compared. St

:23:09. > :23:14.Andrews in Scotland and one in London. What came through was this.

:23:15. > :23:21.What made both schools great was that they both had great head

:23:22. > :23:27.teachers. So I want a system that develops new leaders and ensures we

:23:28. > :23:31.learn from their example. Now, only a tiny fraction of Scotland's

:23:32. > :23:37.teachers have any wish to go on and be a head. Dozens of posts remain

:23:38. > :23:40.unfilled. We need the leaders of our future to know they can make the

:23:41. > :23:46.maximum difference when they get into power. That means real respond,

:23:47. > :23:50.that means handing control over budgets and recruitment and the

:23:51. > :23:56.funding of the new Scottish attainment challenge to heads. It

:23:57. > :24:03.means buddying the best and worst performing schools to help spread

:24:04. > :24:04.best practice and putting focus on literacy and numeracy so by eleven

:24:05. > :24:11.every child can read well. It means, literacy and numeracy so by eleven

:24:12. > :24:15.proper testing and an independent inspection regime not an education

:24:16. > :24:21.body in charge of marking its own homework. The change I want to see

:24:22. > :24:24.isn't handed down from politicians, but is driven from within each

:24:25. > :24:29.school and it is recognised and tracked. That means government

:24:30. > :24:34.setting the framework, but then giving over control to the people on

:24:35. > :24:37.the ground, the teachers and the school leaders who believe that

:24:38. > :24:45.every child can suck shed. -- succeed. I couldn't care less

:24:46. > :24:52.whether they're called free schools or academies or comprehensive, but

:24:53. > :25:00.we need to ditch the dogma and give school leaders the powers and tools

:25:01. > :25:05.to achieve. Let's act. More power to school leaders a properly funded

:25:06. > :25:09.health service. Letting doctors and nurses get on with their jobs, not

:25:10. > :25:13.filling out forms. Those are some of my priorities for action. This is

:25:14. > :25:19.the kind of opposition they would lead. Constructive, competent,

:25:20. > :25:24.credible. Focussed and disciplined and with a new team drawn from every

:25:25. > :25:29.walk of life that brings their experience into the Parliament and

:25:30. > :25:33.raises the level of debate. An opposition that will hold the SNP

:25:34. > :25:37.the account and will deliver better government for Scotland. And of

:25:38. > :25:41.course, now that huge financial powers are coming to Parliament, no

:25:42. > :25:48.opposition party can demand action without saying how they pay for it.

:25:49. > :25:52.For two years, I have made the case for a more responsible Scottish

:25:53. > :25:55.Parliament. One that doesn't think how to spend money, but has to

:25:56. > :26:01.consider how that money is raised too. I'm pleased that it is our

:26:02. > :26:05.Conservative team that has made good on its promise to do that, by

:26:06. > :26:10.pushing through the new Scotland Bill. This party when we say we are

:26:11. > :26:14.going to do something, we do it. In our manifesto in April, I will stet

:26:15. > :26:20.out in detail how we want future Scottish governments to act. But let

:26:21. > :26:25.me mabgt two things clear -- make do things clear. First, there is no

:26:26. > :26:29.justification, none, for demanding a higher tax burden on Scottish

:26:30. > :26:41.families than there is on people elsewhere in the UK. APPLAUSE. You

:26:42. > :26:46.might as well hang a sign that says Scotland is closed for business. And

:26:47. > :26:49.I don't say that out of ideology, but out of common-sense. If that

:26:50. > :26:55.were to happen, and Scotland was the highest taxed part of the UK, what

:26:56. > :27:00.do the SNP, Labour and the Liberal Democrats think will happen? Will it

:27:01. > :27:05.encourage a new business to choose Glasgow over Manchester? Is it going

:27:06. > :27:08.to entice an academic who has been offered a job in Edinburgh or

:27:09. > :27:13.Birmingham to choose to bring her family hire. Maybe whack up taxes

:27:14. > :27:23.will increase the tax take to the Treasury in London, but not to

:27:24. > :27:30.Holyrood. It will just encourage people to move south of the border.

:27:31. > :27:37.The Scottish Labour leader said how much would a tax hike bring n she

:27:38. > :27:44.said it could bring in zero. So stop your sick fan tick, morally superior

:27:45. > :27:48.preening and think of your country. We need a strategy to attract the

:27:49. > :27:54.brightest and best to stay here and to come here. The thing at -- sign

:27:55. > :27:58.at the border shouldn't say give us your money, it should read we

:27:59. > :28:12.welcome your business. That is the message I want Scotland to send out

:28:13. > :28:18.to the rest of the world. So can I guarantee this, to every voter,

:28:19. > :28:23.every Scottish Conservative MSP who is elected in May will go into bat

:28:24. > :28:28.against tax rises. If we have our way, the right hand side of your pay

:28:29. > :28:34.check will remain protected and instead focus on how we have a

:28:35. > :28:39.government that builds jobs, encourages enterprise and has a can

:28:40. > :28:43.do vision. But I also say this, our MSPs under me will also make the

:28:44. > :28:48.case for a moderate and balanced government. One that has what is

:28:49. > :28:54.required to underwrite our quality of life. So here is my view.

:28:55. > :29:00.Friends, I would like nothing more to stand before you today and

:29:01. > :29:05.announce which should cut income tax tomorrow to below the rest of the

:29:06. > :29:09.UK. As the Labour Party keeps pretending is revelation, I'm a Tory

:29:10. > :29:14.and I believe in less government and less tax. But as the commission

:29:15. > :29:21.said, the tax cuts have to be affordable. We can cut tax in

:29:22. > :29:26.Scotland, but over the medium term, but if we are going to cut tax rates

:29:27. > :29:31.in Scotland, I believe that we as a nation need to earn it first. And

:29:32. > :29:36.the truth is we haven't done that yet. So I'm left with a judgment and

:29:37. > :29:41.right here right now, when spending limits are still tough, and public

:29:42. > :29:43.services like our NHS and our education system need support, I

:29:44. > :29:49.don't believe that the time is ligh education system need support, I

:29:50. > :29:57.right for a short-term tax cut below that of the UK. That is my judgment

:29:58. > :29:59.that we will have a fair deal to protect people against tax rises. I

:30:00. > :30:16.can you for your support today. So friends, my message I is simple.

:30:17. > :30:21.Support me and I will do a job for you. A vote for me and my team is a

:30:22. > :30:25.vote to say no to a second independence referendum and to get

:30:26. > :30:30.the SNP to focus instead on running the country. After the division of

:30:31. > :30:32.the last few years, we need a government that is 100% dedicated to

:30:33. > :30:36.the issues that affect us each day. government that is 100% dedicated to

:30:37. > :30:41.Better schools, improving our health service and building a more secure

:30:42. > :30:44.country. We need to bring Scotland back together again. But without a

:30:45. > :30:48.strong opposition in Holyrood to keep them honest, the SNP will just

:30:49. > :30:53.take us right back to the ballot box and they're threatening it already.

:30:54. > :30:58.So vote for me and my team and I will lead a credible and competent

:30:59. > :31:05.opposition, forcing better government and focussed on the

:31:06. > :31:09.issues that matter. We don't are that credible opposition. Labour's

:31:10. > :31:16.has had its chance and failed in nine years it has not laid a glove

:31:17. > :31:20.on the nationalists. So I will continue to stand up proudly for the

:31:21. > :31:24.millions of Scots who want our country to work better. For the

:31:25. > :31:29.government to serve the people. And not the other way around and who

:31:30. > :31:36.want to halt the bad laws which make our country worse and who want to

:31:37. > :31:39.build a better future at every stage of our pupils' education and want to

:31:40. > :31:42.build a better future at every stage proclaim that Scotland is open for

:31:43. > :31:48.business and we are the best place in the world to work, to learn to

:31:49. > :31:54.live and to stay. And together we can make this happen. Friends, we

:31:55. > :31:59.have 62 days until the polls open. 62 days to speak our truth, 62 days

:32:00. > :32:04.to take our message to every house, every street and village and town in

:32:05. > :32:09.Scotland. If you want a strong opposition, an SNP that is held to

:32:10. > :32:14.account, protection for your pay pact, Scotland safe in the UK and

:32:15. > :32:20.open for business and then the Conservatives are for you. Let us be

:32:21. > :32:25.your voice and show your strength and build a better Scotland. These

:32:26. > :32:27.are my pledges to the country. This is my promise to your family and

:32:28. > :32:31.that is the job that I will do for is my promise to your family and

:32:32. > :32:37.you and will not let you down. Thank you.

:32:38. > :32:48.APPLAUSE STUDIO: Ruth Davidson the Scottish

:32:49. > :32:50.APPLAUSE Conservative party leader, taking

:32:51. > :32:54.the applause at her Spring Conference. She was saying it's time

:32:55. > :32:59.to speak to the country, she wanted a new start for the party to bring

:33:00. > :33:02.the SNP band wagon it a halt. She said they're ready to serve. They're

:33:03. > :33:06.the SNP band wagon it a halt. She a party with a fresh sense of

:33:07. > :33:10.purpose. There she is with the Scottish Secretary. She said that

:33:11. > :33:14.Scotland won't turn into a one-party state and criticise the the Lib Dems

:33:15. > :33:18.and Labour, like never before, she wanted voters to take a fresh look

:33:19. > :33:24.at them. There's the audience members. I'm joined by Professor

:33:25. > :33:32.John Curtis here. Interesting policy points as well, protecting health

:33:33. > :33:35.budgets, devolving powers, she might look at tax cuts in the future but

:33:36. > :33:39.not now. The policy detail was interesting. It's interesting

:33:40. > :33:43.because of the wider framing of the speech in which it's located.

:33:44. > :33:47.Beginning of the speech we heard most of it before essentially saying

:33:48. > :33:51.look, I know the SNP have the people who voted independence still wanting

:33:52. > :33:55.to back it. I am willing to stand as the party that believes in the

:33:56. > :33:58.union. I think that we are the party of the union in the way that neither

:33:59. > :34:01.Labour nor the Liberal Democrats are and given the weaknesses of the

:34:02. > :34:05.Labour Party, we think we can provide Scotland with a more

:34:06. > :34:09.effective Opposition. What I think we've learned from this speech is

:34:10. > :34:14.that Ruth Davidson has decided that if she is going to succeed in

:34:15. > :34:18.getting unionists, by which I mean those who voted no in the

:34:19. > :34:22.independence referendum to vote for her, it's no good simply to sing

:34:23. > :34:26.traditional Tory tunes, after all, in effect, she is trying to win

:34:27. > :34:28.over, for the most part, people who have been voting for the Labour

:34:29. > :34:34.Party in Scotland but who still believe in the union. This is a

:34:35. > :34:42.speech which marks Ruth Davidson moving towards the centre of

:34:43. > :34:46.Scottish politics. For example, on education, yes she emphasised... She

:34:47. > :34:51.didn't mention getting schools out of local authority control. She said

:34:52. > :34:56.I don't think this really matters. Observing, the crucial pass odge on

:34:57. > :35:00.tax, we won't -- passage on tax, we won't increase tax, but by the way I

:35:01. > :35:05.don't think we can reduce it either. That's a change in tune. The word

:35:06. > :35:09.used most often was "better". In part she's trying to say to people,

:35:10. > :35:14.we think can provide competent Opposition. We have good ideas. This

:35:15. > :35:17.is very much a message of the centre, rather than the traditional

:35:18. > :35:21.Ruth Davidson of the politician of the centre right. I think that Ruth

:35:22. > :35:25.Davidson has realised that just on its own saying we could beat the

:35:26. > :35:29.Labour Party, saying look, we really stand up for the union, on its own

:35:30. > :35:32.it's not enough. She has to persuade voters who believe in the union, but

:35:33. > :35:35.it's not enough. She has to persuade who are not necessarily as

:35:36. > :35:39.right-wing as her that actually the Conservative Party would be pursuing

:35:40. > :35:43.an agenda that they would not be uncomfortable with. Thanks very much

:35:44. > :35:48.for that. Back with you in a moment. We can now go back to Brian Taylor

:35:49. > :35:52.at Murrayfield who's joined by party members.

:35:53. > :35:54.Joined by quite a few party members, three will be talking with me and

:35:55. > :35:57.dozens in the back Gordon Browned three will be talking with me and

:35:58. > :36:00.who will be joining us in -- background, who will join us in a

:36:01. > :36:06.different way. Thanks very much for joining me. What did you make of the

:36:07. > :36:11.speech? She's pitching to be the Opposition party, but not Opposition

:36:12. > :36:15.in Holyrood not measuring up the curtains yet, realistic or pitching

:36:16. > :36:20.it too low? No I think it's entirely realistic. There's been an ecstatic

:36:21. > :36:23.atmosphere today at conference. That's been reflective of how we're

:36:24. > :36:33.performing buoyantly in the polls over the last while. Ruth Davidson

:36:34. > :36:36.has presented a team which is the cross-section of Scotland,

:36:37. > :36:39.candidates brought in council estates, from academia, from all

:36:40. > :36:43.walks of life. They're here representing a large section of the

:36:44. > :36:48.Scottish demographic, who've been abandoned by the other parties. You

:36:49. > :36:50.have Labour and the Liberal Democrats who've abandoned unionism

:36:51. > :36:55.to follow the Scottish National Party. We stand firm, representing

:36:56. > :37:00.the two million people who voted no, along - How can you say that? They

:37:01. > :37:13.will have voted for Labour, Liberal Democrats, Ukip, you know and some

:37:14. > :37:17.SNP. You want all of that side? The Liberal Democrats and Labour Party

:37:18. > :37:22.were for unionism, but now they don't. First of all, generally what

:37:23. > :37:26.due make of the speech? I think Ruth Davidson was pitching the fact that

:37:27. > :37:29.she is the only credible Opposition leader. She's talking about things

:37:30. > :37:33.that matter to people, defending our United Kingdom, you know, keeping

:37:34. > :37:39.taxes low, standing behind working families. What we hear from the rest

:37:40. > :37:43.is they're all pitching up with high tax, high spending proposals. Rouge

:37:44. > :37:49.is saying, look, we need to keep within our means, keep the economy

:37:50. > :37:54.growing. She's a leader for the Opposition to the SNP. That's what

:37:55. > :37:57.make her special. Ruth Davidson is a fantasticy different Scottish

:37:58. > :38:00.Conservative. She's the only leader that hold Nicola Sturgeon and the

:38:01. > :38:03.SNP to account in the Parliament. The Opposition are nowhere to be

:38:04. > :38:07.seen. The SNP government have failed over health care, education, farming

:38:08. > :38:10.and where are the Labour Party? We need Ruth Davidson and the Scottish

:38:11. > :38:15.Conservatives as the Opposition party in this election. Let's pick

:38:16. > :38:19.up a couple of the points that you raised there, tax first of all.

:38:20. > :38:23.Would it not have been bolder, more eye catching to say that the

:38:24. > :38:31.Conservatives are offering a tax cut in Scotland? The They may offer a

:38:32. > :38:36.tax cut when the conmay Laos that. But at the moment -- when the

:38:37. > :38:39.economy allows us to do that. We want a level playing field. We don't

:38:40. > :38:41.want to discourage business to Scotland. It's important that the

:38:42. > :38:46.want to discourage business to tax rate stays as is. That's a

:38:47. > :38:49.winning formula? Would it not have been more grabby to offer the tax

:38:50. > :38:53.cut? Absolutely, there's very few doors I knock where someone says,

:38:54. > :38:58.please, please, raise my taxes. People say, I'm willing to pay a bit

:38:59. > :39:04.more, but I want it to be spent well first. What Ruth is saying is let's

:39:05. > :39:08.get the house in order first and let's keep that tax fairly balanced

:39:09. > :39:11.rather than proposals - If folk are willing to pay a bit more, does that

:39:12. > :39:16.not mean the Labour and Liberal willing to pay a bit more, does that

:39:17. > :39:22.Democrat arguments are swaying them? But they don't want reform. They

:39:23. > :39:27.want to have the same approach with named pensioned and state guardians.

:39:28. > :39:31.They backed the SNP on prescription charges. The Scottish Conservatives

:39:32. > :39:35.are looking at a different model. We're saying that let's keep the tax

:39:36. > :39:37.where it is, compared to the rest of the United Kingdom. At the end of

:39:38. > :39:41.the day, one thing that will damage Scotland more than anything is if

:39:42. > :39:43.we're seen as the high tax part of the United Kingdom. That's not good

:39:44. > :39:46.we're seen as the high tax part of for people or for business. Ian, the

:39:47. > :39:50.Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats, who are currently

:39:51. > :39:54.advocating a tax increase, the SNP position yet to emerge, they're

:39:55. > :39:57.doing this to invest in education, to improve Scotland, to give

:39:58. > :40:01.Scotland a better opportunity and better prospects. I think there's

:40:02. > :40:09.definitely an issue with education to be addressed. We've seen numeracy

:40:10. > :40:14.and literacy rates amongst working class children fall under the

:40:15. > :40:17.current administration. Despite they'd advocate higher taxation they

:40:18. > :40:20.current administration. Despite haven't been able to prove that.

:40:21. > :40:27.There's an issue of where to spend the money. What about the other

:40:28. > :40:29.question that raised by Ruth Davidson, higher expenditure on the

:40:30. > :40:33.Health Service. Is that credible when the money coming down from the

:40:34. > :40:36.Chancellor in the next budget is likely to confirm further spending

:40:37. > :40:39.constraint? It's about readdressing the balance of where the money's

:40:40. > :40:46.spent in the Scottish Parliament. We've seen the SNP freighter away

:40:47. > :40:51.?180 million on a new computer system to give farmers their

:40:52. > :40:54.payments, which doesn't work. The Scottish Conservatives would manage

:40:55. > :40:59.payments, which doesn't work. The their finances responsibly, we

:41:00. > :41:03.wouldn't have wastage like that. Presumably, Kyle, if extra money is

:41:04. > :41:06.to go to health, that means constraint in other parts of the

:41:07. > :41:12.budget? It means we have to spend well. Health's a good example. The

:41:13. > :41:16.SNP say they're pro-the NHS, in Conservative-run England spending

:41:17. > :41:19.went up 4. 4% since the coalition and then the Conservatives came in.

:41:20. > :41:23.In Scotland in that period it fell by 1%. The SNP say that's not

:41:24. > :41:26.comparing like with like, on day-to-day spending they have

:41:27. > :41:30.maintained their pledge. No, it's just that the figures don't lie.

:41:31. > :41:32.Spending has fallen and they haven't, regardless of anything,

:41:33. > :41:35.they haven't passed on the money they've gotten from the UK

:41:36. > :41:39.Government for the Health Service. They decided to spend it other ways.

:41:40. > :41:43.That's fine. But we're saying let's back the National Health Service and

:41:44. > :41:46.give it the money that needs. Not only is spending decreasing,

:41:47. > :41:48.dropping on the National Health Service, pressure is increasing. The

:41:49. > :41:51.SNP Government are Service, pressure is increasing. The

:41:52. > :41:54.putting targets on the Health Service which is completely

:41:55. > :41:57.unattainable. They're not giving it enough investment and resources to

:41:58. > :42:01.carry that out. It is just creating a service with low morale which is

:42:02. > :42:08.the same across our education service and our Police Service as

:42:09. > :42:13.well. Another topic, it was debated at conference and at the fringe, a

:42:14. > :42:15.gigantic issue for Scotland, the UK and for your party, the future of

:42:16. > :42:19.the European Union. I'm actually not sure where you stand. I should have

:42:20. > :42:22.checked before. The European Union is

:42:23. > :42:25.checked before. The European Union to make. It is based on our own

:42:26. > :42:30.personal opinion. We might look at it from a social point of view,

:42:31. > :42:33.economic point of view, international security, my focus is

:42:34. > :42:36.to ensure that we return the highest number of MSPs to the Scottish

:42:37. > :42:41.Parliament. I will be focussing on campaigning for this Scottish

:42:42. > :42:46.election and post May 5 is when I'll make that decision the way I will

:42:47. > :42:49.vote. For now uncertain? Undecided. Undecided, as well. The inside

:42:50. > :42:53.obviously, it's better the devil Undecided, as well. The inside

:42:54. > :42:55.know, but I think the leave side could still capture my

:42:56. > :42:59.know, but I think the leave side others. They've not set out their

:43:00. > :43:04.plans, not set out what a post-EU Britain would look like. That's

:43:05. > :43:08.really important. Can you campaign for the elections on May 5, when you

:43:09. > :43:11.have this gigantic issue that's going to be there the entire time as

:43:12. > :43:14.well? Absolutely. The talk of the conference has been

:43:15. > :43:16.well? Absolutely. The talk of the campaigning to get Ruth Davidson and

:43:17. > :43:19.her campaigning to get Ruth Davidson and

:43:20. > :43:26.people can campaign whatever way they want. The voters are thinking

:43:27. > :43:29.about Europe all the time now. Our job is to

:43:30. > :43:31.about Europe all the time now. Our more important. With eneed

:43:32. > :43:33.about Europe all the time now. Our the SNP held to account. Then vote

:43:34. > :43:36.on the referendum. It's not politicians, it's the people who

:43:37. > :43:40.decide the referendum. What's your stance on Europe? I'm very much of

:43:41. > :43:45.the persuasion that it's time for Britain to leave the European Union.

:43:46. > :43:49.Why is that? For me, there are two Australianed amountal issues -- two

:43:50. > :43:53.fundamental issues. Any nation should have the right to forge its

:43:54. > :43:57.own free trade agreements with other nations across the world. Unlike

:43:58. > :44:01.other European nations I don't think Britain needs to bury its Twentieth

:44:02. > :44:08.Century past in the ground. There's an opportunity there to engage with

:44:09. > :44:12.Britain's history. The second thing is that, you know, a sovereign

:44:13. > :44:16.nation should have the right to control her own borders, to decide

:44:17. > :44:20.who can enter their country and to judge that based on the skills

:44:21. > :44:25.shortages present at that tie. How do you think, fiebl yes, the same --

:44:26. > :44:29.final question. Can you campaign for May 5 or will that overarching

:44:30. > :44:33.question of the European referendum dominate? The Conservatives came to

:44:34. > :44:37.power last May in Westminster Based on the premise that they would offer

:44:38. > :44:41.the referendum. We've fulfilled that now. That's something this all

:44:42. > :44:44.British people, Scots, English, Northern Irish and Welsh appreciate.

:44:45. > :44:47.They're willing to look past the Conservatives' division on Europe to

:44:48. > :44:53.see what our doe mistic policies will be like. -- domestic. Thanks

:44:54. > :44:57.for your contribution. For the hundreds behind you that were

:44:58. > :45:01.excited spectators back to the studio.

:45:02. > :45:07.A short while ago during a speech at conference, the Defence Secretary,

:45:08. > :45:15.Michael fallen, announced that -- Michael Fallon, announced that RAF

:45:16. > :45:19.Lossiemouth was the preferred location forker a defensive

:45:20. > :45:25.location. Over the next decade we'll be spending over ?180 billion on new

:45:26. > :45:32.equipment and equipment support. That includes the two carriers, the

:45:33. > :45:43.biggest ships the Royal Navy will ever have being built, new frigates

:45:44. > :45:47.to be built at gufb and -- Guvan and Scotsston, upgraded fast jets, jobs

:45:48. > :45:54.created by companies here that I visited this morning. We will also

:45:55. > :46:02.be creating two additional frontline RAF typhoon squadrons. I'm pleased

:46:03. > :46:05.to confirm today that our preferred option is to base one of those new

:46:06. > :46:23.squadrons at RAF Lossiemouth. Another decision we took was to buy

:46:24. > :46:27.nine Boeing P8 patrol aircraft to protect our nuclear deterrent, to

:46:28. > :46:30.enhance our maritime search and rescue. That was a decision that

:46:31. > :46:33.enhance our maritime search and perfectly encapsulates the

:46:34. > :46:40.difference between us and Labour. When we come in in 2010, we had to

:46:41. > :46:47.scrap Labour's Nimrod programme, it was eleven years late, it was ?800

:46:48. > :46:51.million over budget and it had failed to deliver the RAF a single

:46:52. > :46:58.aircraft. Now we are investing in proven aircraft that will be based

:46:59. > :47:04.at Lossiemouth and will be bringing an extra 400 RAF personnel to

:47:05. > :47:13.Lossiemouth, at a cost of over ?2 billion. We are also increasing the

:47:14. > :47:22.size of the Royal Navy. Over the next ten years we plan to spend

:47:23. > :47:28.around 10 billion on war ships to be built in Scotland. And we are also

:47:29. > :47:34.going to be backing the brainpower that we need to keep us ahead of our

:47:35. > :47:41.adversaries. Most of that comes from Scotland. I visited today a small

:47:42. > :47:47.firm called Sea Bite specialising in the software for unmanned underwater

:47:48. > :47:53.vehicles. We are spending ?800 million on innovation and I want a

:47:54. > :47:57.quarter of that spend to go to small and medium sized companies. So the

:47:58. > :48:03.future for Scotland and Scotland's role in defence is bright. By 2020,

:48:04. > :48:12.all our submarines will be based on the Clyde. The army will have a

:48:13. > :48:16.bigger presence in Leuchars, Edinburgh and Kinloss and

:48:17. > :48:24.Lossiemouth will play a stronger role. That is because we have chosen

:48:25. > :48:29.as a government to spend 2% of our national wealth each year on

:48:30. > :48:34.defence. That was the Defence Secretary. Let's go back to

:48:35. > :48:38.Murrayfield for a final time and Brian is joined by some members of

:48:39. > :48:44.press pack. Yes, not just any members of press pack. But the most

:48:45. > :48:53.distinguished members. Tom Gordon and Hamish McDonnell. The speech,

:48:54. > :48:57.she has a strategy to become the principal opposition. Is that

:48:58. > :49:03.credible? I think it is reaching high for them given the poll numbers

:49:04. > :49:09.and the base they start from with 15 MSPs. So it is a big ask. But it is

:49:10. > :49:13.the central theme of the conference today, the notion they can go from

:49:14. > :49:16.being the effective opposition as they call it, more useful than

:49:17. > :49:23.Labour to being the official opposition. That is the big aim and

:49:24. > :49:29.it is wrong-footing Labour as well as antagonising the SNP. But it is

:49:30. > :49:36.predicated upon the presumption of an SNP victory, given the polls that

:49:37. > :49:41.is not much of a gamble, or a miscalculation, but she is then

:49:42. > :49:45.counter poising her party against the SNP, against the particularly

:49:46. > :49:51.the question of a second independence referendum, but she is

:49:52. > :49:56.posits them against Labour on tax. I have never been to a preelection

:49:57. > :50:00.conference where the party said we know who is going to win. Ewith will

:50:01. > :50:04.lose. It won't be us and we are fighting for second place. It is a

:50:05. > :50:09.simple strategy. It is saying we are not going to beat the SNP. Let's see

:50:10. > :50:15.if we can beat Labour and given the Tories something to aim for which is

:50:16. > :50:20.possibly achievable. With all the previous elections the Conservatives

:50:21. > :50:24.have been involved in in Scotland, they were not aiming for government.

:50:25. > :50:29.Now they're aiming for something the members can see and think, if we

:50:30. > :50:34.work hard we may do it. First, tax and then independence. On tax, she

:50:35. > :50:40.must have been tempted, I know she was tempted to offer a sort of

:50:41. > :50:44.ground-breaking tax cut and yet she has called short. No, I think that

:50:45. > :50:50.was probably her initial desire for a tax cut. She talked about being

:50:51. > :50:58.the low tax party and we saw the language modified so we don't want

:50:59. > :51:05.tax to be higher, because that is a criticism of George Osborne. In a

:51:06. > :51:11.sense the Labour and Liberal Democrat offers give her the

:51:12. > :51:17.opportunity to undercut them. She is saying we can't afford a tax cut, if

:51:18. > :51:23.the opportunity arises she will go for it. On that tax point? Yes, it

:51:24. > :51:28.is a sensible Conservative way of approaching things. She would have

:51:29. > :51:31.loved to put in a tax cut and to be fair, politically there was not a

:51:32. > :51:34.lot to be lost by doing it. If you take her position they're not going

:51:35. > :51:43.to win the election, they're not going to be in a position to put

:51:44. > :51:50.through a tax cut. So she could have said we could cut taxes, but she has

:51:51. > :51:53.said we need the money. That is why, part of the speech was about putting

:51:54. > :51:59.money into the health service. If you're going to that and offer a tax

:52:00. > :52:06.cut it becomes difficult to balance the books. Now the question of a

:52:07. > :52:13.second independence referendum, in saying she is the bulwark against

:52:14. > :52:19.that, she is depicting the Labour and the Liberal Democrats as

:52:20. > :52:25.vacillating. Yes it was another big theme in her speech and David

:52:26. > :52:32.Cameron's speech, the SNP got mentioned as much as the

:52:33. > :52:38.Conservatives. She is saying vote for us if you hate the SNP. And get

:52:39. > :52:45.them to her side in a way the SNP do with the yes vote. The SNP have

:52:46. > :52:51.hoovered up the 45, she wants to tap into the 55 she says the liberals

:52:52. > :52:57.and Labour are too wishy-washy. Is that credible? I think it is

:52:58. > :53:03.slightly unfair. The parties are saying there is a lot

:53:04. > :53:07.slightly unfair. The parties are are saying as

:53:08. > :53:13.slightly unfair. The parties are Conservatives over Europe. It is

:53:14. > :53:19.horses for courses. So on independence, she is trying to put

:53:20. > :53:22.herself as the sole defender? Yes I disagree with Tom on that a bit,

:53:23. > :53:25.there has been a lot of play has been made of the fact that Labour

:53:26. > :53:32.have allowed the MSPs to been made of the fact that Labour

:53:33. > :53:35.second vote, as have the Liberal Democrats, but that gives the

:53:36. > :53:39.Conservatives the ability to say, well look at them, they don't stand

:53:40. > :53:43.up for the union. And if you look at the facts and that Labour and the

:53:44. > :53:46.Liberal Democrats are giving this open book to their activists to come

:53:47. > :53:50.ane -- campaign there is ground open book to their activists to come

:53:51. > :53:55.the Conservatives to take and you have seen it today in the conference

:53:56. > :54:00.several times that being raised and I think you will see it again in

:54:01. > :54:02.lead up to the election. Now the question of Europe, the referendum,

:54:03. > :54:07.the Prime Minister had a lot to question of Europe, the referendum,

:54:08. > :54:13.about Scotland and Scotland's stance and the referendum as well. Is this

:54:14. > :54:20.likely to be, he believes the issue can be dealt with in way that isn't

:54:21. > :54:25.divisive, what do you think? It is already divisive and it has been for

:54:26. > :54:28.years. The notion that we are seeing fractures emerge in the Conservative

:54:29. > :54:32.Party. The Conservative Party has been fractured for decades over this

:54:33. > :54:38.and they cannot conceal it. The party is already divided and

:54:39. > :54:44.divides are getting wider and starting to get infected. Can they

:54:45. > :54:50.contain that? I have asked many respectives -- representatives and

:54:51. > :54:56.can they contain that division over policy for the period of the run up

:54:57. > :55:00.to May 5. I can they can here better than in England. There is only one

:55:01. > :55:06.MSP who said that she is going to vote to come out. The rest are

:55:07. > :55:12.united. If you listen to the deputy leader's speak, he was saying, we

:55:13. > :55:18.have got the election, and keep that to one side. I have detected anger

:55:19. > :55:24.around the leadership here at Liam Fox coming in today and what they

:55:25. > :55:28.saw breaking up the atmosphere towards the elections and it has

:55:29. > :55:32.been put to me that Liam Fox is doing for his own personal interests

:55:33. > :55:38.and doesn't care about the party. This Ang hear the politicians have

:55:39. > :55:41.come -- anger that politicians have come from London to use this. Thank

:55:42. > :55:46.you and now I will let you get back come from London to use this. Thank

:55:47. > :55:54.to cover the conference and hand back to the studio in Glasgow. Thank

:55:55. > :55:58.you. I'm still joined by John Curtice of Strathclyde University. A

:55:59. > :56:06.difficult past 19 years for the Conservative. Are we on the verge of

:56:07. > :56:11.a water shed moment? If you stand back from the immediate try of

:56:12. > :56:17.saying we might be the opposition in Holyrood and stand back and what

:56:18. > :56:22.Ruth Davidson's ambition is, since 1997 there has been a feeling that

:56:23. > :56:27.at the ing of Conservative Party as being the only party that opposed

:56:28. > :56:31.at the ing of Conservative Party as devolution was on the outside of

:56:32. > :56:36.Scottish politics and it was a pariah, in a sense the SNP have been

:56:37. > :56:40.reflecting that view by saying you shouldn't vote for the Labour Party,

:56:41. > :56:44.because they fought the independence referendum with the Conservatives.

:56:45. > :56:48.That set off one of the most interesting phrases that Ruth

:56:49. > :56:49.Davidson used to say we are back in the centre stage of Scottish

:56:50. > :56:57.politics. I think that is what she the centre stage of Scottish

:56:58. > :57:02.hopes that this election might do. Therefore she was saying hang on, we

:57:03. > :57:09.have a fresh purpose, we have got new faces, and there is a remind

:57:10. > :57:15.hear the quite remarkably it is a majority Conservative UK government

:57:16. > :57:19.that delivered an increase in devolution for Scotland and is now

:57:20. > :57:29.advocating that position. I think perhaps maybe we will say that 2016

:57:30. > :57:39.is the year when whatever well of -- however well or bad they do, they

:57:40. > :57:43.are accepted as being part of Scottish political firm innocent.

:57:44. > :57:49.And they are regarded a part of Scottish political game. If she can

:57:50. > :57:53.do that she will have achieved a lot and reversed the damage from the

:57:54. > :57:58.opposition to devolution. Do you think she will achieve that? I think

:57:59. > :58:05.she has a fair chance. People see there are new faces for the Scottish

:58:06. > :58:08.Conservative Party and if she does succeed in running Labour close and

:58:09. > :58:14.demonstrates she has the Conservatives to a higher share of

:58:15. > :58:19.the vote, then she does have a fair chance. I think it is something

:58:20. > :58:23.Annabel Goldie tried to do, but could never say to her party, look,

:58:24. > :58:31.this is what we need to accept as a result. She did deals with the SNP

:58:32. > :58:36.and didn't trumpet them. Ruth Davidson said I know you want me to

:58:37. > :58:39.say you want tax cuts, but I'm saying you can't have them. That

:58:40. > :58:44.shows the mettle required. Thank you. That brings our live conference

:58:45. > :58:49.coverage to an end and we will have more on Reporting Scotland at 6.30.

:58:50. > :58:52.From the team hear, from us here in the studio, have a very good

:58:53. > :58:56.afternoon. Goodbye.