Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay branded the Scottish Greens extremists who want to abolish prisons and legalise class-A drugs. Scottish Green co-leader Ross Greer stood by a candidate who described herself as a prison abolitionist, saying she is one of their 'top candidates'. Greer claimed jails are only needed for a 'small number of violent individuals who have committed such horrendous offences'.
Russell Findlay promised to cut taxes permanently for businesses in Scotland if his party wins the Holyrood election. He pledged to overhaul business rates and reverse 'damaging cliff-edge' tax rises set for this April. Under his plans, properties valued under £20,000 would pay no tax at all. The Scottish Conservative manifesto pledged to end 'extreme' business rates by capping the maximum rise each cycle. The Scottish Retail Consortium warned that medium and larger shops in Scotland will pay £162 million more than their English counterparts over the next three years. The Tories promised to introduce a new Bill allowing businesses to apply for regulations to be scrapped or amended, with a final decision resting with ministers. The party wants to establish Canary Wharf-style enterprise zones where councils or ministers could streamline planning rules, provide tax breaks and acquire land. The Conservative manifesto will commit to using Apprenticeship Levy funding to set up a new fund to increase support for apprenticeships.
It's a tough question. I genuinely think the Greens, if you just look at some of what they are proposing.
Russell Findlay announced he will oppose the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill at stage three, despite supporting its general principles at stage one last year. Findlay said his primary concern is 'the real risk that people could be coerced into ending their own lives'. His second concern is that legislation could be widened by later court challenges, a 'slippery slope' seen in other jurisdictions.
Russell Findlay demanded the accelerated upgrade of key roads, including the A75 and A77 in south-west Scotland. He accused the SNP of repeatedly breaking promises to fully dual the A75, A77, A9, and A96 roads. Scottish Government statistics show there were seven fatal accidents on the A75 between January 1, 2019 and January 1, 2024. The Scottish Tories are proposing an emergency law to fast track the dualling of the A75, A77, A9, A96, and remaining sections of the A1.
Just this week, we’ve had a senior candidate who may well end up in Holyrood saying we should abolish prisons. That would mean murderers and rapists aren’t locked up.
Russell Findlay claimed Reform UK 'cannot be trusted' on the Union or its key policies. The Institute for Fiscal Studies concluded that key Reform UK policies are 'not fiscally credible'. Reform UK has suffered setbacks including the loss of seven candidates and internal rows about cronyism and lack of democracy in its selection process.
Russell Findlay said the SNP's pothole epidemic has left parts of Scotland looking 'like a third world country'. Findlay proposed a National Pothole Action Fund to give councils funds for kerb-to-kerb resurfacing and state-of-the-art equipment. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar promised a £350 million pothole fund to fill 5 million holes. SNP candidate Calum Kerr said the SNP delivered record funding of £15.7 billion for councils in the Scottish Budget to tackle issues such as potholes.
It is their policy that heroin and crack cocaine should be effectively legalised, which would cause further devastation and drugs deaths in Scotland.
So, I think the Greens actually win that contest.
As the party of business, the Scottish Conservatives are committed to creating a positive environment for firms to thrive – which would create jobs and increase prosperity.
Scottish businesses and workers are being relentlessly hammered by SNP and Labour taxes.
My party would fundamentally overhaul Scotland’s business rates system to make them fair and transparent.
We’d also work with business to cut costly red tape and ensure that apprenticeships are properly funded after being short-changed by the SNP.
An SNP majority would be a disaster for Scotland’s economy, but voters can stop this nightmare scenario by backing the Scottish Conservatives on their peach ballot paper.
While I remain in agreement with the general principle that individuals should be able to choose to end their own lives to avoid unnecessary suffering, I am not able to vote for the Bill at stage three.
Year after year, John Swinney’s useless SNP has broken its repeated promises to upgrade Scotland’s lifeline roads.
I’ve seen the impact on communities here in Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway with the A77 and A75. But it’s the same sorry story across the country. The SNP’s broken promises are resulting in far too many accidents, some fatal, while the economy continues to suffer.
Our number one priority is to get Scotland working by growing the economy which is why we would urgently upgrade these key routes.
If the SNP win a majority in May, this work will continue to stall, which is why voters should use their peach ballot paper to back the Scottish Conservatives.
Reform cannot be trusted on the Union. They cannot be trusted, full stop.
Their manifesto fell apart inside 24 hours. The IFS think tank described key pledges as a 'mirage'. It was based on fantasy figures.
Their candidates have been dropping like flies. Their leader, Lord Offord, has spent the campaign going in and out hiding.
How can they be trusted to take on the SNP if they can’t even sort their own candidate vetting process?
Sometimes this looks like a third-world country we’re in. Scotland’s pothole epidemic is a monument to two decades of neglect and failure by the SNP.
The state of our local roads is appalling and dangerous – and the buck stops with John Swinney, whose government has starved councils of the resources needed to repair them.
The Scottish Conservatives would fix this crisis by introducing a new National Pothole Action Fund that would give councils the money for kerb-to-kerb resurfacing and to buy state-of-the-art equipment to prevent the return of potholes.