LABOUR and Lib Dem wrangling over Holyrood's budget wasn't very edifying, but I believe there are lessons that can be learnt from the experience about how parties manage devolution, both now and in the future.
For Annabel Goldie and the Scottish Conservatives the priority was to secure £234m of concessions from the SNP to help Scotland tackle Labour's recession. This shows that when the interests of the Scottish people are at stake, Conservatives will wo
rk hard to ensure that Scottish people get the best deal.
As a result of their shrewd and tough negotiations, town centres the length and breadth of the country will benefit from £60m worth of regeneration. 150,000 small businesses will have their local taxes cut or abolished. The elderly will get the care money they deserve. There will be more police on the streets, and bus fares will be lower. This is a massive achievement from our 16 MSPs, and a great example of how constructive dialogue can achieve results.
In these difficult economic times the people of Scotland are looking for stability and certainty. That's why we supported the bank recapitalisation last autumn. Supporting the UK Government when it did the right thing then hasn't stopped us from holding it to account since. In the same way, our support for this budget will in no way diminish our vigorous opposition to the SNP.
If elected, I will do everything in my power to ensure that the SNP will not be able to split up the UK. I want to be a Prime Minister of the whole UK. That's not because I'm some kind of megalomaniac, it's because we have so much in common and we have done so much together. We turned a small European island into one of the most powerful countries known to the world. In the 18th century, the Union helped create the sense of possibility that inspired the titans of the Enlightenment. In the 19th century, what was Europe's first common market brought unparalleled prosperity to both our countries.
And in the 20th century, we not only remained stable in the face of the totalitarianisms that were the scourge of mainland Europe, but we confronted them side by side. If you ask me, that's a winning partnership worth fighting for – and the Conservative Party is the only party fighting for it.
That's why we are now the only major party to field candidates in all four parts of the UK. Across the water in Ulster we are building a new force in Northern Irish politics, by combining with the Ulster Unionists to create a modern, moderate centre-right force. Scotland too needs a force that promotes conservative values – the family, enterprise, and a strong country – and that stands up for the UK at the same time.
Surely Scotland deserves better than to have to choose between one centre-left party – Labour – that has failed the country for 11 years, and another centre-left party – the SNP – that wants to break it up. Almost every country in the democratic world has a strong party of the centre-right that stands for important values. The nation of David Hume and Adam Smith should be no different.
How would this commitment to Scotland and the Union manifest itself in government? Let me explain three ways. First, devolution. We will back the constitutional settlement. There is room for improvement and we will look at the Calman Commission carefully. But devolution is about attitudes, not just institutions. This budget debate has highlighted issues about the true nature of political devolution in Scotland. Whilst Iain Gray and Scottish Labour simply take their orders from Gordon Brown, Annabel Goldie is her own woman. We have a close working relationship but it is about co-operation, not control.
This brings me to my second point – our working relationship is a model for how it should be done in Government. If the First Minister had something close to a workable relationship with the Prime Minister throughout this economic crisis, we would have had fewer arguments and more action. Amazingly, Alex Salmond admitted this week that he hadn't met with Gordon Brown in almost a year despite the recession. How is that standing up for Scotland?
This important relationship simply hasn't been respected by this Government. If we win the next election at Westminster, we would govern with a maturity and a respect for the Scottish people. I would be a Prime Minister who would work constructively with any administration at Holyrood for the good of Scotland, and I would be in regular contact with the First Minister no matter what party he or she came from.
Third, if we are going to make devolution work effectively we need more co-operation at all levels, not just the very highest. That means the Secretary of State for Scotland having monthly meetings with the First Minister. That means Cabinet Ministers in Westminster talking to their counterparts in Holyrood. That also means officials in Whitehall talking to officials in St Andrew's House. And instead of completely refusing to appear before Scottish Parliament Committees as Labour's ministers do, our ministers would be open to reasonable requests.
We've already demonstrated our co-operative spirit. Think of David Mundell's letter to the SNP offering talks about the funding of the Forth Road Bridge. Members of our shadow cabinet have also had meetings with members of the SNP cabinet, such as George Osborne's meeting with John Swinney last year. I want to see more of that.
This commitment to true partnership between our nations sets the Conservatives apart from the other parties in Scotland as much as our commitment to modern, centre-right ideas. We are the only party that can bring about the change Scotland needs.
