Margaret Mitchell MSP

Margaret Mitchell speaks exclusively to Tory Hoose re Leadership Bid

Central Scotland MSP Margaret Mitchell has today thrown her hat into the Scottish Conservative Leadership Election with an 11th hour bid. Speaking exclusively to Tory Hoose, Mitchell commented that on receiving over More »

murdo-fraser

‘A new captain is not enough. We need a new ship.’ – by Murdo Fraser MSP

  On Friday we launched our first article from the leadership campaign. Today we give you the third and final article from the leadership contest, Murdo Fraser, Regional MSP for Mid Scotland More »

ruth-davidson

Ruth Davidson MSP tells ToryHoose why she is standing as leader!

  On Friday we launched our first article from the leadership campaign. Today we give you the second article from the leadership contest, Ruth Davidson, Regional MSP for Glasgow.     The More »

jackson-carlaw

Jackson Carlaw – Experienced. Assured. Unionist.

  Starting today, we will be featuring articles from each of the leadership candidates explaining why they should get your vote. We will also be posting an article from a supporter of each candidate. First up, is Jackson More »

Murdo Fraser Welcomes 4 Way Fight For Leadership

murdo-fraser

Murdo Fraser has released the following statement after four candidates were confirmed in the race to be the next leader of the Scottish Conservative Party.

Murdo’s statement in full:

“I can now officially welcome my three colleagues in the leadership contest and I wish them well on the campaign trail ahead.

“I would like to thank all my supporters who have backed my campaign through signing my nomination papers and thank the hundreds of members who have emailed, phoned and written to me over the past few weeks since I launched my leadership campaign. It is an honour to have received such strong support from members and I will use this goodwill to fight a positive campaign to see a better future for our party.

“This is the first time in decades that our party is having a proper debate about its future. I will continue to set out the case for transforming the Scottish Conservatives into a new, stronger centre-right party for Scotland to stand up for the interests of people in Scotland credibly and effectively and to continue to explain why remaining within the United Kingdom is very much in Scotland’s interests. Such a change would be good for Scottish politics, good for Scotland and good for the future of the United Kingdom.”

Murdo is joined by Jackson Carlaw, Ruth Davidson and Margaret Mitchell. Ballot papers will be issued on 13th October with the results being announced on November 4th.

DAVIDSON WELCOMES FOUR-HORSE RACE AND LOOKS FORWARD TO BATTLE AHEAD

ruth-davidson

After securing the necessary 100-plus nominations, Ms Davidson said a four-horse race would give party members a genuine choice in a battle that will decide the future direction of the Tories in Scotland.

‘I am delighted to be taking part in an election campaign that offers a real diversity and a broad range of ideas,’ she said. ‘I look forward to putting forward my case, my vision for the party and to vigorous debate with my three fellow contenders.’

Ms Davidson, 32, the youngest of the four candidates, has already won the support from Lords Forsyth and Sanderson as well as the backing of several other prominent Conservative politicians, including John Scott, deputy Holyrood presiding officer, John Lamont MSP and former deputy presiding office Murray Tosh.

Ruth said there was mounting support within the party for her and her mission to renew and refresh the Scottish Conservatives.

Continuing her nationwide tour of the constituencies today, she added: ‘I see it in every stop I make and every member I meet and I am greatly encouraged in my quest to lead a Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party which once again has the ability to win.

‘The Scottish Conservatives should be seen as the natural party of aspiration; the party that backs the hard- working and enterprising, and the socially conscious. I see the Scottish Conservatives as the party for Scots of all backgrounds who want safer streets, better schools, and a vibrant economy.”

“And I want the Scottish Conservatives to be the party to which voters turn to speak up for the union and Scotland’s place in the United Kingdom. It is by taking these principles forward and engaging with the people of Scotland that will lead to the Conservatives winning again. Breaking up the party or just giving it a new name will not achieve any of this. Everywhere I go, I hear members telling me they want the opportunity to elect Conservative politicians, a Conservative government and a Conservative Prime Minister. I am not going to deny them that opportunity.”

 

Ruth added: ‘This election will decide the future of our party. I am confident of my case and of my ability to lead the Scottish Conservatives and to make it a force once again.”

Tory Hoose Poll finds Slender Lead for Murdo Fraser

A Poll conducted by Tory Hoose has found a small majority in favour of Murdo Fraser as next leader of the Scottish Conservative Party.

The poll asked 655 people over the course of several weeks who they would like to see as the next leader of the Scottish Conservatives. 301 (46%) people said they would be voting for Murdo Fraser with 289 (44%) stating support for Ruth Davidson. The Third Candidate, Jackson Carlaw polled just 11% with 65 votes.

The results of the poll do not however tell the full story given that people were only asked for first preferences and the election is being conducted using the single transferable vote system.

The results of this poll show that the leadership election is far from a forgone conclusion. What is clear is that when it comes to voters on the internet, Ruth and Murdo are a long way ahead of Jackson Carlaw. It is clear that Conservatives in Scotland do not want to protect things as they are and there are quite a few supporters of Murdo’s plan for a new party. It will be interesting to see how people who didn’t take part in this poll cast their votes and indeed, how they use their other preferences.

 

FULL RESULTS:

Carlaw, Jackson – 65 votes, 11%

Davidson, Ruth – 289 voes, 44%

Fraser, Murdo – 301 votes, 46%

Total votes cast – 655

The poll was conducted between 9th September and 23rd September 2011.

 

It should be noted that the poll was conducted and closed shortly before the confirmation of Margaret Mitchell’s candidacy and therefore the results do not take into account votes for her.

GROUP LEADERS SUPPORT MURDO AS HE LAYS OUT LOCALISM AGENDA

murdo-fraser

Leadership candidate Murdo Fraser has been given the backing of five Conservative Group Leaders in local authorities the length and breadth of Scotland.  In the letter below, Leaders of the Conservative Groups on Dumfries & Galloway, Edinburgh, Perth & Kinross, Fife and Aberdeenshire Councils outline that the people they represent are “crying out for a centre-right alternative”.

In an article to be published on ConservativeHome tomorrow in which he will outline what features our new party for Scotland will have, Murdo will talk about his localist approach to politics.  He will say:

“Alex Salmond and the SNP may believe in Scottish political sovereignty, but they certainly don’t trust people in Scotland with power.  Their sovereignty is an exclusive sovereignty where only certain politicians can exercise real power.  It would give the Scottish Government more power, but is none too keen on giving it to Scottish local authorities, communities or people.  The approach of our new party will be very different.  The devolution of power will not grind to a halt at Holyrood, but continue on ever downwards.  Such a localist approach is also in tune with a fundamental belief that the best way to improve public services is not through central command and control, but through local diversity.”

The letter signed by five key Council Group Leaders reads:

As elected Scottish Conservative Councillors and Group Leaders, we fully support Murdo Fraser’s idea to transform our party into a new, centre-right force in Scottish politics.

As people who are on the frontline of politics in communities right across Scotland, we know how many people feel frustrated and let down by local councils run by parties of the centre-left.  Parties which spend wastefully and fail to provide good, value-for-money local services.

Such people are crying out for a centre-right alternative which provides the highest quality of service at the lowest possible cost.  But despite sharing our values and supporting many of our policies, many people across Scotland simply will not countenance voting Conservative.  So we have first-hand experience of the problems our party has in connecting with people in Scotland.

We believe that a new, centre-right party with a distinct Scottish identity and policies that are made here in Scotland will be the essential first step in reconnecting with voters at the local level.  And once people learn that they can trust this new party to act in their interests and introduce policies that improve the quality of life in their local communities, we will attract new supporters from all walks of life.

This will be helped enormously by the fact that Murdo Fraser has made it clear he will put localism at the heart of this new party’s agenda.  As parties of the centre-left, both Labour and the SNP have been responsible for the centralising trend in Scottish politics.

It is high time we reversed this trend which is failing people across Scotland.  Scotland is a diverse country and we need to recognise that in the way we deliver vital public services.  That means freeing up local councils so that they can respond effectively to the differing needs and wishes of their local communities.

That is why we believe that the new, centre-right party which Murdo Fraser proposes will not only transform Scottish politics for the better, but also transform Scotland for the better.

Yours faithfully,
Cllr Jeremy Balfour, Conservative Group Leader, City of Edinburgh Council
Cllr Dave Dempsey, Conservative Group Leader, Fife Council
Cllr Marcus Humphrey, Conservative Group Leader, Aberdeenshire Council
Cllr Ivor Hyslop, Conservative Group Leader, Dumfries and Galloway Council
Cllr Alexander Stewart, Conservative Group Leader, Perth and Kinross Council

Margaret Mitchell speaks exclusively to Tory Hoose re Leadership Bid

Margaret Mitchell MSP

Central Scotland MSP Margaret Mitchell has today thrown her hat into the Scottish Conservative Leadership Election with an 11th hour bid.

Speaking exclusively to Tory Hoose, Mitchell commented that on receiving over 150 nominations in under 48 hours, a “collective sigh of relief” had been heard amongst members that they “no longer had a quandary over who to vote for”.

Mitchell told us earlier today, “In terms of my bid for the Leadership, I wanted to wait to see if any of the Candidates were actually representative of the views of both myself and the vast majority of the membership of the Party.  I feel that they haven’t offered anything different. ”

Speaking of her 48 hour nomination dash, Mitchell commented “During the last couple of days, I have been hearing collective sighs of relief from those in the Party who now have a voice that represents their vision of Scottish Conservatism.  They have been telling me that they no longer have a quandary over who to vote for.  I will deliver my manifesto on what I will bring to the Party if elected at my forthcoming Launch and the Members will have a chance to listen to my plans tomorrow at the Hustings in Inverness.

She added, “It’s now time to stand up and be counted and listen to the people.  Politics is all about people.”

Details of her formal launch will be announced soon and Mitchell will join Murdo Fraser, Ruth Davidson and Jackson Carlaw on the stage in Inverness tomorrow at Round 1 of the Leadership Hustings Roadshow.  Tory Hoose will be there for the views, news and interviews.

Margaret Mitchell Confirmed as 4th Leadership Candidate

Margaret Mitchell

Tory Hoose can reveal that the Central Scotland MSP, Margaret Mitchell has reached the required number of 100 nominations and will therefore be a candidate for the leadership of the Scottish Conservative Party.

According to my sources, Mitchell’s husband delivered 145 nomination papers into Scottish Conservative HQ at 10:40 this morning.

 

Stay ‘tuned’  here for more information

Billion Pound black hole in SNP plans

gavin_brown
Further analysis of the SNP draft budget has revealed a near billion pound mystery at the heart of John Swinney’s plans to boost capital spending.
 
In his speech to Parliament, the Finance Secretary claimed that “We have decided, over the period until 2014-15 to switch from resource expenditure to our capital programme a total of over three quarters of a Billion pounds.”
However, according to the Scottish Government’s own figures, capital expenditure actually decreases over that period when the draft Budget is compared to the indicative spending totals the Scottish Government published in early 2011.
In fact, projected capital expenditure doesn’t rise by over £750 million but actually falls by over £185 million over the period, giving a £935,000,000 black hole at the heart of the plans. This data is found by comparing the SNP’s own projections in January of this year with the plans unveiled on Wednesday.
Gavin Brown MSP Scottish Conservative finance spokesman says:
“Another day and more revelations which show the SNP draft budget is unravelling.
 
“First we saw a cash grab on business of £850,000,000 and now this new mystery over capital expenditure. Put together they raise serious questions about the economic credibility of the SNP.
 
“The SNP must answer the following questions urgently
  • Are they actually shifting over £750m into capital spending or is this just spin?
  • Where is the evidence in the budget to show the move of £750m into capital spend?
  • Why do their own figures suggest a £185m decrease in capital spend since their January figures?
  • If money is being shifted, which revenue budgets have been cut to achieve this?”
  
“We said on Wednesday that the SNP was playing a game of smoke and mirrors. Well the fog is lifting and the picture from the figures is very different from the SNP narrative we were fed on Wednesday.”
Data verified by Scottish Parliament research centre:
£m 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15
DEL Capital
Illustrative Budget (Jan 2011)       2,606.6       2,536.0       2,299.0       2,380.0
Spending Review       2,606.7       2,471.4       2,238.4       2,319.6
Difference 0.1 -64.6 -60.6 -60.4

John Kilkenny selected for Edinburgh’s Sighthill/Gorgie 2012 election

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John Kilkenny was selected as the Conservative & Unionist candidate for the Sighthill/Gorgie ward on The City of Edinburgh Council in March this year.

An early selection has enabled John to work with Lothian MSP David McLetchie before the Holyrood election to enable him to get his foot in the door and get a grasp of local issues. John is local to the area, having attended Forrester High School and has worked in the motor trade subsequently in Edinburgh.

Jason Lingiah, Deputy Chairman of Edinburgh South West Conservative Association told Tory Hoose, ”I have been extremely impressed with the work and commitment that John has shown both during Holyrood campaign and his own campaign which has now progressed to his second leaflet going on throughout the Ward.”

John has also been proactive in responding to local development issues and has taken time to attend the many Community Councils and local groups in the area and is clearly working to win.”

The Sighthill/Gorgie ward in the City Council is like many wards in Edinburgh where the Conservatives have missed out on electing a Councillor due to the lack of transfers under the Single Transferable Vote electoral system, despite gaining enough votes on first preference.

With hard work and a City wide strategy to win, Tory Hoose is confident that John can be elected in May 2012.

Davidson updates the hoose on her campaign trail.

ruth-davidson

It’s now official. Today the campaign made it over the 100-person threshold

required to be formally nominated as a candidate for the Scottish Conservative

Leadership. A huge thank you to those who have nominated me – I promise I won’t let

you down.

What this shows is a wave of support behind the campaign, and behind my vision to

renew the Scottish Conservatives. As I travel across Scotland on my constituency

tour party members keep telling me they want a Scottish Conservative & Unionist

Party which wins again – and they believe I am the best candidate to do so.

As well as all the face to face feedback I am getting, there is no shortage of

senior party figures who have endorsed my campaign. This week former Aberdeenshire

MP Sir Albert McQuarrie joined Lord Forsyth and Lord Sanderson in supporting my

candidature. Sir Albert said:

“I am convinced in Ruth Davidson the Conservative and Unionist Party in Scotland

will have the leader it needs at this time.

“I would encourage other members of the Party to give their support to Ruth Davidson

in her campaign to lead this great Scottish party.”

I am delighted to have his support. I want to get the Scottish Conservatives

winning seats across Scotland again and it is great to have so many figures who have

won constituencies before on board.

I will be continuing my tour over the next couple of days – yesterday I was down in

the Borders, tonight I am in East Lothian and tomorrow I am going to South

Lanarkshire and then Dumfries before heading off to Inverness on Saturday for the

first leadership husting. I am really looking forward to the chance to put my

vision up to debate and scrutiny.

News Review 23/09/11

With Glasgow Labour in complete disarray, the Daily Record notes that former Council Leader Steve Purcell is ‘Happy as Larry’ despite claims that he may be in line to face corruption charges following Strathclyde Police completing a probe into his time as Leader.  http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2011/09/23/cocaine-shame-ex-council-boss-steven-purcell-is-happy-as-larry-as-corruption-police-complete-probe-into-his-dealings-86908-23439963/

The fallout of John Swinney’s Spending Review, referred to as ‘Plan MacB’ continues, with both the Herald http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/politics/850m-business-rates-bombshell-for-scots-jobs-1.1125470  and the Scotsman http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/news/Swinney-sets-up-850m-business.6841110.jp leading with £850m business rates bombshell for Scots jobs as job fears rise and a call for the Finance Secretary to further review this draft budget before it is delivered in January. 

A report by the Centre for Public Policy for Regions (CPPR) is reported to have found ‘scant evidence’ that Salmond’s plans for the Economy will impact on growth http://breakingnews.heraldscotland.com/breaking-news/?mode=article&site=hs&id=N0540161316711061869A and the Church of Scotland has entered into the Spending Review debate with Rev Ewan Aitken, the Secretary of the Church and Society Council (and Labour Councillor in Edinburgh) claiming that the Nats are ‘failing to help Scotland’s poorest’.  http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/news/Kirk-leaders-attack-Nationalists-for.6841117.jp

Alex Salmond has come under fire for refusing to confirm what fate awaits the University of Abertay http://www.thecourier.co.uk/Community/College-and-University/article/17529/alex-salmond-fails-to-rule-out-merger-of-city-universities.html despite claims that a ‘DunTay’ University merger is in the pipeline.

Finally, Fife Council and Edinburgh Council look set for a bit of a ding-dong as fears over a ‘spending leak’ as the Capital’s Gyle Shopping Centre looks set to expand http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Fife/article/17474/fife-council-agrees-to-formally-object-to-gyle-shopping-centre-expansion.html