Howard targets 2007 for Scottish revival

Key points

• Howard says Tories have changed as he woos 'hostile' Scottish electorate

• Tories showcase raft of new Scottish policies for 2007 manifesto

• Fox hunting, land reform and wind-farms all in Tories sights in new policies

Key quote

"The people of Scotland are interested in the future, not the past. We have moved on and we are actually addressing the priorities of the people of Scotland and the people of our country. We have changed" - Michael Howard, Conservative leader

Story in full MICHAEL Howard launched a new, re-invented Conservative Party in Scotland yesterday, insisting it had changed and unveiling a raft of radical policies that will form the basis of the Tories’ campaign for the 2007 Holyrood election.

The Conservative leader was in Glasgow to launch his party’s manifesto for the general election. It covered the policies that will form the basis of this year’s Westminster campaign, spelling out the Tories’ determination to crack down on immigration, to reduce taxes, to cut bureaucracy and involve the private sector more in public services.

But what was surprising was the extraordinary range of new policies for Scotland that could only be brought in by the Scottish Executive and will form the basis of the Tories’ manifesto in 2007. These included the privatisation of Scottish Water, the review and possible repeal of both the Land Reform Act and the fox-hunting ban, the direct funding of all schools, stripping councils of that responsibility, and a moratorium on new wind farms and genetically modified crops.

Mr Howard defended his decision to provide such a detailed breakdown of policies for the Executive, saying it was right for the party in Scotland to look forward to the Holyrood elections.

In what was a clear attempt to win over a traditionally antagonistic Scottish electorate, the Tory leader insisted both he and his party had changed since the 1980s. He said: "The people of Scotland are interested in the future, not the past. We have moved on and we are actually addressing the priorities of the people of Scotland and the people of our country. We have changed."

He went on: "There was a time when I thought perhaps politicians were entitled to preach, but now I know that politicians ought to listen.

"When I was younger, I probably was a bit more ideological. Now, as I have got a bit older, I am much more practical. I think people want someone who is practical, someone who is prepared to pull up his sleeves, get down to work and deliver on the promises you make."

The Tory leader’s day started with a deliberately low-key manifesto launch in London, where he was on stage accompanied only by his 28-page manifesto with 11 words on its cover. In his opening speech, he made a virtue of being the second-oldest man to lead the modern Conservative Party. "I’m 63 years old," he said. "I could easily hang up my boots and spend more time with my grandchildren."

But, Mr Howard said, he was instead "going into battle for Britain" with a deliberately simple manifesto.

"It doesn’t have a picture of me on the cover - it doesn’t have anyone’s picture on the cover," he said. "On the cover are the simple longings of the British people - people who feel forgotten and ignored."

None of the policies inside is new. Of the 28 pages in the English version, only 19 contain text. It is half the size of William Hague’s 2001 manifesto and a third of the size of that launched by John Major in 1997.

Brevity, Mr Howard said, was a virtue. "This may come as a novel concept, but I actually want people to read it," he said.

The Scottish version was also fairly slim, but was accompanied by a series of detailed explanatory documents, setting out what the policies were and how they would work.

Both manifestos are dominated by key pledges of "cleaner hospitals, more police, school discipline, controlled immigration, lower taxes and accountability".

But neither gave details of where a promised 4 billion of tax cuts will fall, information that Mr Howard declared would be released "very soon".

Mr Howard was left on the back foot when questioned about his party’s claims that immigration officers at some UK airports had been ordered to grant people temporary admission even if they carried "suspect" papers.

Pressed to provide evidence of this practice, the Tory leader became agitated but said it had been published, referring to a recent News of the World article. But a Home Office spokesman denied that there had been any change in immigration policy.

Labour did not wait for the Conservative manifesto launch before denouncing it - claiming there was a 15 billion black hole and that the Tories could not pledge both to cut tax and to outspend Labour.

"The simple point is that you cannot, as a matter of economics, spend more, tax less and borrow less - all at the same time," Tony Blair, the Prime Minister, said at a 7:20am joint news conference with Gordon Brown, the Chancellor - which was 40 minutes before Mr Howard published his manifesto.

Labour has doubled its lead to six points over the Conservatives since last week, according a NOP poll for the Independent. It put Labour up two points on 38 per cent, the Tories down one point on 32 per cent with the Liberal Democrats unchanged on 21 per cent.

What the Tories will do if they win power

Privatise Scottish Water.

Review and possibly repeal the Land Reform Act.

Review and allow parliament to repeal the ban on fox hunting.

Cover the cost of treating patients at private hospitals which can treat them at the standard NHS cost.

Pay half the cost of operations at private hospitals which charge more than the NHS tariff.

Cut Scottish business rates to the same level as England.

End the automatic early release of prisoners.

Create directly elected police board conveners.

Recruit and fund 1,500 more Scottish police officers.

Fund schools directly from central government, stripping councils of any responsibility for such funding.

Set up a new funding arrangement for schools, with money following the pupils, giving successful schools the chance to expand.

Allow councils more freedom to spend money on what they want, relaxing the "ring-fencing" currently in place.

Change the timing of council elections to make sure they take place in the mid-terms of the Scottish Parliament.

Have a moratorium on wind-farm developments until new, tougher planning policies are in place.

Have a moratorium on the commercial planting of genetically modified crops.

Repeal all laws and regulations of no proven worth.

Spend an extra 100 million a year on transport.

Fully upgrade the A8, A80, A8000 and A75 corridor, carry out major changes to the A9 north of Perth, upgrade the Aberdeen bypass, A96 and A702 and build a new Kincardine bridge.

Carry out full review of the Forestry Commission, which might lead to its abolition.

• Scottish Conservative Party