Scottish Conservative leader makes economy speech

The newly elected Scottish Conservative leader, Ruth Davidson, has given a speech in Glasgow focused on the development of the Scottish economy.

Ms Davidson, in her first major speech as leader, laid out her proposals for Scotland. She urged Scots to work for prosperity “as our forefathers did”, and warned that Scotland’s “something-for-nothing” culture is at an end.

Ms Davidson proposed a smaller role for the public sector and claimed her party’s purpose was to “decisively shift the balance of power from the hands of politicians into the hands of people and local communities”.

Setting out her vision, the Scottish Conservative leader claimed that “decades of socialism have dampened our natural capacity for enterprise and hard work but the flame still burns”, further adding that “nobody who is able to work should be allowed by choice to live off the rest of us without contributing”.

Ms Davidson spoke of the “resourceful” people of Scotland, encouraged Scots to return to their old values and be more like Germany, where “saving is a virtue and debt is shameful”.

However, she also expressed concerns about the direction that Scotland’s economy may take, advising it not to become like other European countries such as Greece, where large sums of other people’s money are borrowed and spent in the “hope and expectation of never being called to account”.

Amongst the leader’s other proposals were the teaching of enterprise in schools, inspiring children to “reach for the stars”, supported by a “rigorous education system” and the encouragement of business growth and the building of “a country with the confidence to try and sometimes fail - knowing that the shame is not in falling short, but in not trying at all”.

However, Davidson, who was elected to the position after the previous leader Annabel Goldie resigned, has come under criticism from opposition parties for failing to float any new policy proposals. This sets her apart from Murdo Fraser, Davidson's main rival during the leadership contest. The MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife caused controversy last September when he called for the party to be completely renewed.

Traditionally, the Conservatives have not done well in Scotland. A Scottish Labour spokesperson has said that “‘the people of Scotland stopped listening to their tired rhetoric”. Whereas SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson has suggested that the party should have taken “the advice of the erstwhile leadership contender Murdo Fraser and disbanded the party altogether”.

Despite criticisms, the new leader stated that her vision for Scotland was “a positive one”.