SNP has made Scotland a ‘stagnation nation’, says Scottish Tory Gallacher
The party’s deputy leader used her speech to the Tory conference in Aberdeen to attack the SNP and the Scottish Greens.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Scotland has become a “stagnation nation” under the SNP, with the future of the country now “on the line” in this year’s general election, the Tory’s deputy leader at Holyrood has warned.
Meghan Gallacher said that after 17 years of the SNP “has left Scotland in a rut”.
Addressing her party’s conference, she insisted it was only the Tories who can “beat the SNP and take Scotland forward”.
With an election almost certain to take place this year, Ms Gallacher warned: “The future of Scotland is on the line.
“Under the SNP, we are a stagnation nation.”
Attacking the SNP-led Government over its record, she claimed the education system resulted in children “leaving primary school not being able to read and write” while saying businesses now face a “struggle to keep their doors open because the SNP have made Scotland the highest taxed part of the United Kingdom”.
She went on to complain that issues with healthcare meant Scots faced a “struggle” to get a face-to-face appointment with their GP, while claiming that in the justice system “the perpetrator of a crime is favoured over the victim”.
Ms Gallacher insisted: “The fact is, the SNP has no idea how to fix these problems – they have simply run out of ideas.”
The Tories, she said, were “offering something different” to voters on key issues such as education, justice, the economy, and health.
She went on attack the Greens, who are in government with the SNP at Holyrood, with Ms Gallacher suggesting if they are allowed to remain in government “our present will be a misery and the next generation of Scots will be pushed all the wrong values”.
The Bute House Agreement, the nationalist coalition between the Greens and the SNP needs ripped up.
With the Greens in Government, the Tory said: “In our schools, children will be force-fed gender ideology and asked intrusive questions about sex and relationships, when kids should just be left to be kids.
“And aspiration and hard work will be taxed to the point where its just not worth anything anymore.”
Ms Gallacher said: “This is not a future I want for my daughter.
“And the Scottish Conservatives will fight tooth and nail to stop dangerous green ideologies from entering our schools and workplaces.”
She went on to challenge First Minister Humza Yousaf to call time on the powersharing deal, saying: “The Bute House Agreement, the nationalist coalition between the Greens and the SNP, needs ripped up.
“The Greens need to be sent back to the extreme fringes of our politics where they belong.”