Tories finish their conference in Troon as they suffer a major poll slump, Ruth Davidson bids to rally troops, Tory leader is not good enough

Dear All

The Scottish Conservatives have just finished their conference in Troon, like the other political parties it is staged managed to show ‘unity’ sometimes where none exists.

Anyway, bad news travels fast as the Tories have slumped to eight points behind Labour in the aftermath of the Budget.

In Scotland, the Tory leader is Ruth Davidson, was described by the late Paul McBride as ‘someone not so nice’.

As conference unfolded, there was a speech by Prime Minister David Cameron who delivered a tough wake-up call to Scottish Tories.

Get up and fight, the usual rhetoric you expect, as party leaders try and put across they have the backing of the people and will get things done.

And as we see from the budget, getting things done is helping the rich.

The party faithful of a dying entity arrived in Troon for the Scottish conference on Friday to the blast of the mainstream media who are running with the granny tax fiasco, even the ones who ‘like’ them turned hostile.

The latest opinion poll sees Labour on 39%, the Conservatives on 31%, and the Liberal Democrats stuck on 11%.

Cold comfort for the Lib Dems who are just three points ahead of UKIP bunch!

One thing Cameron made clear is his impatience with the lack of progress north of the Border.

Tory policy is shit.

Shit don’t sell, Tories don’t grasp that concept.

Anyway Cameron tells party representatives to end the "hand-wringing" and get out and capture the centre-right vote.

Analysis; a bunch of horrible people with bad policies, who want to keep the working class down, don’t get votes, to be expected.

The conference is all about trying to boost the new Scottish leader Ruth Davidson as she tries to build bridges to boost morale.

Ruth Davidson, ‘someone not so nice’.

Enough said.

Stupidity the Tories have thought because Davidson has presenting skills she is a leader of men.

No, no, no!

She is publicly unelectable.
At present the Tories are doing internal party reforms and a promised new logo to replace the UK tree symbol.

Who gives a shit?

Cameron is banging on about centre right, but the Tories need to go centre left with ideas so radical that people actually stop and say, what’s that again?

Davidson says her party's goal is to "reclaim our place as the voice, and party of choice, for mainstream Scotland".

Never in a million years under the status quo as it exists.

A group including MEP Struan Stevenson, former Scotland Office Minister Jamie Lindsay, MSP John Lamont and Edinburgh businessman Iain McGill, will lead "the broadest review" of Tory policies since devolution.

And that review will fail; this group has no real reality with the lives of ordinary Scots.

Deputy leader Jackson Carlaw is leading a consultation on future grassroots party structure, and a review of candidate selection.

Which means what exactly?

The right candidate is someone who is in the clique?

Regarding the referendum Davidson used much of her speech to the conference in Ayrshire to make the case for the Union.

She told delegates:

"When it comes to the very future of the country I love, I will not falter. As Conservatives, where we need to lead, we will lead. Where we need to join, we will join. And where we need to fight, we will not be found wanting."

Not wanted!

Davidson said of the No vote:

"Today we stand on the brink of history. The world is watching, this is our cause and we will not be found wanting. We will add our sound to the millions of voices declaring as one: A strong Scotland in a strong Britain. Together for good."

Scottish Tories are about as appealing as SSP or Solidarity.

So, Council elections, traditional Tories don’t do well, any upward movement will be seen as a breakthrough but since they are bouncing along the bottom, they can’t really sink much worse.

In Glasgow, there is one Tory Councillor, after the election I don’t see a raft of new Tories entering Glasgow Council.

Because they have nothing to say to ordinary working class people!

And Ruth Davidson has nothing of interest to say to wider Scotland.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University