Why Scotland must vote for economic growth – not more SNP mismanagement
The SNP is no longer the party of Alex Salmond, which at least appeared to have a focus on the economy
If anything sums up 19 years of SNP failure in government, surely it must be the images of the then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon presiding over the sham launch of the Glen Sannox ferry at Ferguson’s in Port Glasgow, with a fake funnel and painted-on windows. The ship was nowhere near completion at that stage, and indeed it would be a staggering further eight years before it would begin sailing.
As is well known, the total cost of delivering both the Glen Sannox and its sister ship the Glen Rosa, originally set at £95 million, has already spiralled to the best part of half a billion pounds. In the meantime, the delays mean that Scottish islanders continue to suffer an atrocious level of service from ferry operator CalMac, with a significant, negative impact on local economies, particularly the vital tourist sector.
It is all illustrative of an SNP government that has put style over substance. Promises have been made which have not been delivered. Back in 2007, a first-time house buyers’ grant was pledged, something that has been recycled for the current election despite its non-delivery for 19 years. In that same 2007 election, the SNP promised to abolish the council tax and cancel student debt. Again, neither of these pledges have been fulfilled. More recent commitments from 2021, such as giving every school child a laptop or iPad, have not been met, nor has the promised publicly owned power company been established.
Ridiculous claims about independence
Given this long history of broken promises, can anything the SNP now pledge be taken seriously? The latest flagship commitment from the nationalists is to reduce energy bills, but there’s no indication as to how this might be done, and policy experts have ridiculed claims that independence could cut costs by a third.
If that were not bad enough, the ruinous partnership with the Greens brought its own disaster, with the introduction of rent controls doing irreversible damage to the housing market, while millions were spent on the failed deposit-return scheme. The promotion of gender reform showed just how out of touch the SNP-Green coalition were with public opinion, with the ludicrous situation of male rapists being sent to women’s prisons.
Perhaps the most serious SNP failure has been on economic growth. We are a long way from the heady days of the first Alex Salmond government, which at least appeared to have a focus on the economy with high-profile backing from significant business figures.
For the last decade, Scottish economic growth has averaged at just half the rate of the UK as a whole, meaning fewer secure and well-paid jobs here, and crucially less tax revenue to spend on vital public services. To fill the gap, the SNP have chosen to hike taxes on everyone on above-average earnings, leading many businesses to despair at their ability to attract talented individuals from elsewhere in the UK to come and work in Scotland. Meantime, key sectors which drive economic growth, such as oil and gas and defence, see nothing from the SNP to help them develop and grow new markets.
That is why the number one issue which should drive voters’ decisions when they go to the polls this week must be the promotion of growth. There is a looming £5 billion black hole in the public finances by the end of the current decade, which will only be filled if we have the Scottish economy growing faster.
Reduce the tax burden
We currently have 800,000 Scots of working age who are economically inactive, too many of whom are on benefits. It is only by tackling this issue by getting more people into the workforce, and reducing the benefits bill, that the books will be balanced.
The Scottish Conservatives have a clear plan for growth, with a costed manifesto for the election that makes the economy the top priority. We have to start reducing the tax burden so Scotland becomes more attractive a place to invest. The SNP want to go in the other direction, with plans for a mansion tax, and a new charge on private jet landings, both of which appear specifically designed to deter wealthier people coming to Scotland.
The Greens are quite explicit in their detestation of billionaires but, given their policy choices, the SNP seem to be not much further behind. Far from driving the wealthier out of our country, we should be attracting more to come here, bringing their wealth and investment potential, building businesses and creating jobs. That’s the approach the Scottish Conservatives would take.
Help business, fix education
But there is more to what we offer than just taxation. The business support landscape is too cluttered, with over 100 different bodies currently offering advice, and hundreds more potential sources of support. We need to rationalise the landscape with a single organisation which we would call Growth Scotland, signposting entrepreneurs and businesses to the help they need.
We need to tackle the skills gap with a new demand-led apprenticeship system, ensuring that the Apprenticeship Levy monies paid by larger Scottish businesses – which at present disappear into Scottish Government coffers – are made available to those firms investing in training, as is the case south of the Border.
And we need to restore standards in education, so Scottish youngsters leave school not lagging far behind their counterparts in England as is the case at present, but with the knowledge and skills that will equip them for the workforce of tomorrow.
Scotland simply cannot afford another five years of SNP failure. A vote for the Scottish Conservatives on Thursday on the peach ballot paper, wherever you live in Scotland, is a vote to stop an SNP majority and instead put growth at the centre of government policy.
Murdo Fraser is the Scottish Conservative candidate for Perthshire North
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