Policy

Rebuild Scotland - The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Manifesto 2021

Ahead of the Scottish Parliament election on May 6, Douglas Ross made a number of bold policy pledges to the Scottish electorate in the party's manifesto. Some of the headline pledges included: 

  • Full fibre broadband rollout; 
  • £2 billion extra for our NHS; 
  • £500 skills grant for everyone; 
  • Recruit 3,000 more teachers; and
  • More local policing.

You can read the manifesto in full, as well as a financial supplement, below. 

 

Power up Scotland - Economic Recovery from Covid-19

In September, Douglas Ross launched his ambitious policy paper, which explored an economic plan to recover the Scottish economy following the coronavirus. A summary of the many impressive plans outlined by Ross in this report include: 

  • Sector-specific Job Security Councils to help laid-off workers transition and find skilled work, based on Sweden’s hugely successful retraining programmes.
  • A Town Centre Rescue Plan to help small local shops adapt and free up planning restrictions.
  • A ‘Scotland First’ procurement strategy to have the government spend more money locally.
  • A Scottish education guarantee to age 18 and expanded adult learning programmes.
  • Community Right to Buy schemes for local pubs and other employers in fragile areas.
  • Scottish Enterprise reformed on regional lines and new Rural Growth deals to spread high-quality jobs and business growth across the country.
  • A yellow/red card system for businesses who make late payments and bid for public work.
  • A new research and development target with better incentives for innovation.
  • A Hardship Fund for businesses facing localised lockdowns.