Recovering from virus is top priority of Tories

Douglas Ross has outlined 15 major Bills he said the Scottish Conservatives would steer through Holyrood to rebuild the country after the coronavirus pandemic.

Unveiling a manifesto he says represents a “positive policy programme”, the Tory leader vowed to “secure and accelerate our recovery from coronavirus”.

The blueprint includes an aim to end unemployment with plans for £500 “Retrain to Rebuild” grants, job security councils, rapid retraining courses, and an Enterprise Bill that would establish an economic development agency for every region.

It sets out a proposal for a “double lock” that would protect the NHS budget, and boost it through a £600 million taskforce to reduce treatment times.

A Communities Bill would introduce a “Barnett Formula for councils”, as well as £550m for “community investment deals” to drive growth, and a change to planning laws to give areas the final say over major developments.

The party said it wants new rates relief that would save the average shop more than £3,000, a £200m fund to tackle potholes, scrapping public car parking charges and a homebuyers tax cut saving people up to £2,100.

Other ideas include a Local Policing Act and a Victims Law, investing £1 billion over the next parliament in tackling the attainment gap, and increasing teacher numbers by 3,000.

Mr Ross said the manifesto outlined ways of “using the powers of the Scottish Parliament to their maximum, rather than complaining that they are never enough”.

The Moray MP and Highlands and Islands candidate said: “It is a positive policy programme, focused on rebuilding Scotland; on delivering an economic recovery that stops unemployment and creates good jobs and growth in every part of our country; on supporting our education system to catch up every single pupil from a year of disrupted schooling.

“It is a programme that will ensure our recovery from coronavirus. And funding our NHS to get through the backlog of a year of delayed operations.

“Yet our manifesto does so much more than that, it sets out the issues that the Scottish Conservatives will fight for in the next parliament.

“For renewing our justice system, so it is firmly on the side of victims and not those who commit crime.

“For devolving power and funding to communities, so we can put an end to SNP centralisation and better support local services, like schools and roads.

“For creating a dynamic, innovative green economy that works with business to drive a skills revolution and achieve our 2045 net-zero ambition – and so much more,” added Mr Ross.

The Scottish Conservatives have pledged to end the uncertainty over future agricultural policy by holding a public consultation within 100 days if they win next month’s election.

Leader Douglas Ross launched his party’s rural manifesto on an Aberdeenshire farm, where he said the SNP had “dallied and delayed” over farm policy for too long and insisted the Tories would focus on a blueprint policy for the industry.

“We would work with the farming sector to design a simple and fair system that works for Scottish farmers and crofters,” he added.

Until this new agricultural policy could be implemented, the manifesto states the Scottish Conservatives would support the industry to reduce carbon emissions by reversing cuts to the Agri-environment Climate Scheme and extending it.

There is also a commitment to reviewing the value of the Agricultural Transformation Programme, and supporting funding for low-emission farming.

Other ideas include reopening young farmers and new entrants start-up grants as well as the new entrants capital grant scheme, and the manifesto says the party would encourage partnerships via mentoring schemes, and focus on supporting women in the sector.

Under the Scottish Conservatives, funding would be available for a national agricultural institute of technology to deliver both online and face-to-face training courses for farmers.

The manifesto adds: “We would invest an additional £10 million a year in agricultural research and development and support pilot farms to trial new ways to improve farm efficiency and spread best practice across Scotland.”

The party commits to reviewing penalties for rural crime and supporting the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime.

At the launch, Mr Ross claimed rural communities had been held back by “poor infrastructure, diminished services and a lack of clarity for farmers”, and insisted rural areas shouldn’t be left behind as Scotland recovers from the pandemic.

“We want to create jobs in these areas, so that no one needs to move away from where they have grown up to find work,” he said.

There is also a commitment to a review of “farm to fork” policy.

READ ALL ABOUT IT: Douglas Ross holds aloft his party’s election plans to rebuild Scotland after the pandemic at the manifesto launch in Glasgow.

RURAL FOCUS: Scottish Tories leader Douglas Ross.