David Cameron would show Scotland 'respect' if he became PM

by mudricky | October 5, 2009 at 02:25 am

266 views | 56 Recommendations | 15 comments

David Cameron the leader of the UK Conservative party said he would show Scotland 'respect' and would seek a meeting with the Scottish First Minister if he became Prime Minister in the up and coming British general elections.

Recent polls show that Cameron would be the next Prime Minister if elections were held today.

In the first two years of the former Prime Minister, Conservative Margaret Thatcher's administration Scotland lost a fifth of its workforce.

Lowering inflation was her priority, and this was done through cuts in public expenditure, privatisation and the powering down of the Trade Unions.

The traditional industries of Scotland had became so over-dependent that they were no longer be propped up through government funding and allowed to make losses.

Coal miners were hit very badly - 15 pits falling to two pits throughout the 80s - the textile industry was also put to rest, including the famous jute trade in Dundee, and steel production plummeted, with Ravenscraig finally shutting in June 1993.

The last 50 years of Scottish society had been turned upside down, yet many deemed this to be an inevitable downfall - throughout the whole century Scotland had been dependent on one ever-narrowing sector of the economy and finally laying this unhealthy tradition to rest was never going to be easy.

Scotland has since recovered since those days to an extent, but it wasn't all that long ago and people still remember. It will still be a long time before Scots give the Conservative party large votes up here in the North.

Conservative leader David Cameron has said he would govern Scotland with "respect" if he wins the election.

Mr Cameron spoke to BBC Scotland ahead of his party conference in Manchester.

He promised that if elected, one of his first duties as prime minister would be to meet Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond.

But Mr Cameron also opposed calls for Mr Salmond to be included in any pre-election leader debates, saying he did not believe it would work.

In an interview for the Good Morning Scotland programme, Mr Cameron insisted his party had changed and tried to outline what effect a Conservative government at Westminster might have on Scotland.

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hidflect

at 02:58 on October 5th, 2009

I'm a bit two-minded about David Cameron. To me he represents the party of the "have's and have more's" (as Bushie would say) and once I sent him a reasonably polite email about 2-3 years back to complain about Tory double standards in his PR campaign pitching corrupt-free government, when one of his ministers went down in some predictable cash scandal.

I must admit, the reply I got really was persuasively genuine and contrite, promising to do better, etc. I've worked in PR but even so, I guess I can be fooled by a politician, who are masters of "the game". But I couldn't bring myself to see his attitude as mere damage control. I believe he IS a very sincere and well-intentioned man. It's just his hundreds of ideological colleagues and associates that give me the creeps.

Babel-Fish

at 03:41 on October 5th, 2009

To be truthful both parties are to similar when in power, its becomes money making time whilst throwing tip bits to the peasants and loads of propaganda about working for the benefit of the people. It nearly time however to swap from one beast to the other as the present beastie has proved its got worms and maggots. Okay its a sad rich dragon that may learned its lesson and just may toe the line because it now fears the people.

mudricky

at 04:27 on October 5th, 2009

Once they get in, after a few years no doubt we'll go back to new - new Labour.

mudricky

at 04:52 on October 5th, 2009

They need to be held on or before Thursday 3rd June 2010. There is no official date yet, but have to be before then.

Though local elections for councils have been set for 6th May 2010 and many believe the General Elections will be held on the same day.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 05:54 on October 5th, 2009

Thanks for this story Ricky.

The_Cynic

at 09:10 on October 5th, 2009

If Cameron gets in - then you can say hello Scottish Independence and the Union will be split.

Being English I am in two minds - the vast majority of the people who 'pay' for Scotland and Wales are those who live in England - yet on the other hand the tradition of the Union is a great Union. And all that changing of flags!

I remember the last Tory government (though New Labour have become nought more than a Tory government) and if the Tories do get a majority - things will get worse very quickly.

Let's see what Cameron advocates re: Europe, first.

mudricky

at 09:37 on October 5th, 2009

I don't think I could see the Tories going for Scottish Independence.

The_Cynic

at 10:13 on October 5th, 2009

The Tories won't - the Scot's will.

mudricky

at 14:28 on October 5th, 2009

What I mean is that the Tories won't allow the split up, they would do everything they could to stop it if somehow if the SNP was able to push ahead with their plans.

Professor

at 09:25 on October 5th, 2009

The other year I stayed in a Blackpool Hotel over the Christmas period only to my suprise be surrounded by many Scottish people. We all enjoyed sharing the entertainment provided against a backdrop of waves coming over the prom yet the reasons why some be there is the same reasons why others want to get away from home - to escape their crime ridden estates and have a rest from it all. How nice to learn that Gov failure isn't an isolated affair as to a Nation!.

mudricky

at 09:36 on October 5th, 2009

ha ha your using the auld English pays for Scots line... you'll get bombared with meesages now =:-)

The_Cynic

at 10:20 on October 5th, 2009

As far as one can tell – and a trawl of databases reveals most of all a reticence about the real figures – the subsidy from other parts of the Kingdom (ie, England) to Scotland is currently at least £22 billion a year.

So - where are the Scot's going to get that 22 billion quid a year from? If they go down the road of independence then you will also have to find the money for a Scottish NHS, public services ad infinitum.

Independence means that you no longer get any money from the UK Treasury.

mudricky

at 14:56 on October 5th, 2009

Just to note, I don't disagree with you I was saying some excited Scot may pop-up and have a go lol... =:-)

Anyone with a bit of sense should know that there will be a massive shortfall.

I had a look though the SNP website to see if it has came up with how the 'hole' of missing money could be filled.

The site doesn't give much away, it goes on about the small nations around us like Norway and Ireland and THE OIL =:-)

I think most Scots would be happy for more power and not the full hog, but apart from separate TAX systems, that would be daft in this day and age there isn't much more we could be giving without home rule.

I'm still young but I think it may happen in my lifetime, but I'll be a very old man.

Uch I dunno...

They need to make the English system fairer though, that's for sure. They need some sort of change to the way Westminister is now or a new separate 'English' parliament.

What do you think?

More than 90 per cent of the UK’s oil revenues come from the Scottish sector of the Continental Shelf. So it really is Scotland’s oil

Over the past thirty years over 35 billion barrels have been extracted from the UK sector of the North Sea, producing a cash windfall for the UK government of over £200 billion. There is plenty of potential left in the North Sea, with as much as half of the oil yet to come and new opportunities opening up for the oil industry to the north and west of Scotland.

As an independent country Scotland could follow the example of Norway and invest a share of our future oil revenues in a fund to benefit future generations. By investing just part of our oil wealth, Scotland could have an Oil Fund worth billions within a decade.

In addition to oil, we have vast renewable energy potential. Scotland has 25 per cent of Europe’s wind and tidal capacity and 10 per cent of its wave power. There are huge, untapped opportunities for offshore energy production and for clean carbon technologies like carbon capture. The SNP is determined to harness this potential and turn it into a successful and sustainable industry.

Oil and renewables - along with a set of pro-Scottish business policies – can help transform Scottish prospects over the next 30 years. They are far too important to be left to London. It is time to move on so Scotland’s precious natural resources can help fuel our nation’s future prosperity.

The_Cynic

at 13:17 on October 6th, 2009

The SNP keep going on about 'oil' like it is the be all and end all. Where and whom are they going to sell it to? The companies that own the rights to the oil fields are where? If the SNP feel they can simply renegotiate the rights issue, to the benefit of Scotland, they are - as I have always said, nuts!

That oil is not going to last forever - and, if my past predictions come true - Scotland would be begging the Union to take them back. They want to join the EU as a body on their own - OK, that's fair enough - but ask yourself who is one of the biggest budget payers into the EU coffers? It would be then England.

The tax hike would be astronomical and you would have a mass exit from Scotland to England because England could pay the wages, therefore the tax take would go lower and lower until Scotland taxed people at 90%.

As I say, if Scot's want independence more than they have now - go for it. But don't expect the Union to take them back when the country is bankrupt.