REBUILD SCOTLAND
The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Manifesto 2021
Our fully-costed manifesto would rebuild Scotland by restoring local services and bringing power back to communities from the SNP Government.
But we cannot rebuild Scotland if we are crippled by the threat of an independence referendum. This would not only put a roadblock in front of Scotland’s recovery, but would divide Scotland all over again at a time when we need to pull together to rebuild.
If pro-UK voters come together and unite to use their PARTY LIST votes for the Scottish Conservatives, we will stop an SNP majority, stop them taking their eye off the ball any longer, and deliver a Scottish Parliament 100% focussed on Covid recovery and rebuilding Scotland.
Read the full Manifesto here
Our five key pledges to rebuild Scotland
- FULL FIBRE BROADBAND ROLLOUT.
We would ensure every home and business premise in Scotland has a full fibre connection by the end of 2027. To help do this we would legislate so that every new home must be built with full fibre broadband. The SNP’s rollout of digital infrastructure has been marked by dither and delay while they have been focused on another independence referendum. We will focus on rebuilding our communities from this pandemic by ensuring people can work and do business remotely with a great internet connection. (Scottish Conservatives, Douglas Ross speech, 20 November 2020, link).
- £2 BILLION EXTRA FOR OUR NHS.
We would protect NHS funding by passing legislation that would guarantee that it will increase by Barnett consequentials or 2 per cent more than inflation, whichever is highest, in every year of the next Parliament. This would guarantee real terms increases every year. Based on current estimates this would result in a funding boost of at least £2 billion by 2026.
- £500 SKILLS GRANT FOR EVERYONE
We would provide up to £500 every year for training and skills development for every single adult in Scotland through Retrain to Rebuild Accounts. For those who are unemployed, facing redundancy, or earning less than £30,000, we will provide up to £500. For those in employment and earning over £30,000, funding would be provided on a £1 for £1 match funded basis paid into the Account. This funding can only be used for external, not internal, training and for approved courses. Those already in government funded education or training would be ineligible for funding.
- RECRUIT 3,000 MORE TEACHERS
We would launch a new workforce strategy to recruit 3,000 new teachers over the course of the next Parliament. This would include a new campaign to encourage people to consider teaching and increasing support for ‘career switchers’. To improve participation in STEM, we would introduce a dedicated STEM teacher in every primary school. Through these commitments, we will lower class sizes, reduce the prevalence of multi-level teaching and introduce a ‘subject guarantee’. We would ensure that every S4 pupil will be able to take at least seven subjects in S4.
- MORE LOCAL POLICING
We would introduce a Local Policing Act to boost local police patrols and increase community engagement with policing decisions. Rising violent crime and falling awareness of police patrolling our streets demonstrate the need to boost local police patrols to deter crimes. A Local Policing Act would require Police Scotland to set local targets for the number of hours police spend patrolling the streets and report on their progress.
