‘The Scottish Conservatives aspire to lead the next government of Scotland,’ proclaims Ruth Davidson in a pamphlet setting out the party’s thinking.
Could it really happen? Could the Tories go from wipeout in 1997 to triumph in 2021 – from resisting devolution to effectively running the show in a generation?
Too long; didn’t read answer? Yes. More complex answer: Yes, if…
Scottish, Conservative, Unionist is a ‘Yes, if’ document, informed by an understanding that the party cannot sit back and wait for voters to come to it. Muhammad must launch a charm offensive on the mountain. The booklet features contributions from leading lights and rising stars. MSPs Adam Tomkins and Donald Cameron wrestle with inequality, intervention and the limits of programmatic solutions. Cameron counsels ‘neither rugged individualism nor stifling collectivism, but a philosophy anchored in the dignity of every human being. A dignity which recognises that people should have some say in how their lives are arranged day-to-day.’
Then there’s Annie Wells, a name you will hear more of in time.
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