Conference 18
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CONFERENCE 18 2-3 MARCH 2018 ABERDEEN EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE CENTRE A MESSAGE FROM THE PRIME MINISTER I am delighted to welcome you to this year’s Scottish Conservative Conference. As we meet together in Aberdeen, we can be proud of the outstanding results we enjoyed across the north-east of Scotland in the general election last year, with the region sending its first Conservative & Unionist representatives to Westminster for 20 years. That success was replicated in many other Scottish constituencies and in last May’s local elections. Thanks to your efforts on the campaign trail, and the leadership of Ruth Davidson, we secured an historic breakthrough in Scotland. Thank you for all the hard work and long hours you put in. As a result, our Scottish Conservative MPs are delivering for the people of Scotland. In less than a year in Westminster, they have achieved more for Scotland than the SNP – including helping to secure an additional £2 billion of extra spending power for Scotland in the Budget. And our MSPs are taking the fight to the SNP in the Scottish Parliament too, highlighting the damage that they are doing to Scotland’s economy with higher taxes than the rest of the United Kingdom. When I stood on the steps of Downing Street in July 2016, I spoke of my personal commitment to protecting and strengthening our precious Union of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. That commitment remains stronger than ever. We will foster a more united country by tackling the challenges we face and building a Britain that is fit for the future. That means getting a Brexit deal that works for the whole of the United Kingdom – ensuring that as powers are repatriated from Brussels, the right ones are passed to the Scottish Parliament. But Brexit will not be the limit of our ambitions. We also have to carry on making a difference here and now on the issues that matter to people’s daily lives. By delivering on this, we can create a country with a stronger economy and a fairer society, one that will guarantee a better future for the next generation. We can only do this with your support – so thank you. I hope you have a very enjoyable Conference. A MESSAGE FROM THE RT HON RUTH DAVIDSON MSP Welcome to Aberdeen for the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party’s 2018 Conference. We are meeting after a year of continued electoral success for our party and I want to thank you for the part you have played in this. Following our breakthrough at the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections, at which we became the largest opposition party at Holyrood, 2017 saw substantial Scottish Conservative and Unionist gains at the Council elections as well as a dozen gains across Scotland at the general election in June. From the Borders to Banffshire, and in six out of seven constituencies in the North East, Scottish Conservative MPs are now working hard on behalf of their constituents and on behalf of all of Scotland in the House of Commons. In Westminster, the Scottish Parliament and in council chambers across Scotland, we have a strong and energetic team of Scottish Conservative and Unionist representatives, dedicated to delivering for Scotland, and I am proud to lead them. So our conference this year will be an opportunity to celebrate our success of the last year. But - most importantly - it will also be firmly focussed on the challenges facing Scotland and the solutions we propose. With standards in too many of Scotland’s schools slipping, with growth in the Scottish economy lagging behind the rest of the UK and with the Scottish NHS under increasing pressure, it’s clear the SNP government are failing. All of this is taking place under the shadow of Nicola Sturgeon’s threat to put Scotland through another independence referendum. Scotland deserves better than this. We are determined to work hard in our local communities as well as argue our case nationally for a change in direction. Our priorities of raising school standards, supporting business to grow the Scottish economy and securing investment for our essential public services enjoy significant support across the country. This is the positive and ambitious vision for Scotland we will take to every voter in the country. Scotland deserves no less. Welcome to Conference A MESSAGE FROM RICHARD WILKINSON Conference Convener Welcome to Aberdeen! What better place to hold our 2018 Conference than in the North East where we made such spectacular gains at the General Election last year, defeating a former SNP First Minister of Scotland and an SNP Westminster Parliamentary Leader. We hold six out of the seven North East Westminster seats and have Scottish Conservative MPs as well from the Borders, the South West and West of Scotland and Central Scotland. Well done to them all. We also greatly increased our Council representation in the fantastic local elections resulting in Conservative Councillors in all parts of Scotland. They will now carry forward the Conservative voice at local level and I am sure be the forerunners of future gains to take control of Councils. None of this would have been possible without the people to stand as candidates, win or lose, and the dedication and hard work of all our volunteers throughout Scotland who gave up so much time to campaigning. Thank you to all of you who worked so hard and continue to do so whether Association Chairmen and women, Executive Council members, candidates, activists and supporters. One member who will be sadly missed this year is Marjory Borthwick, who tragically passed away last year. Particular thanks are due to Gordon Wallace Brown, George Carr and Charles Kennedy, our Regional Conveners in the West, North and East regions of the Party who have led their regions through a busy time. As I come to the end of my first term as Conference Convener, I look back on a demanding time which has seen the Party, under the excellent leadership of Ruth Davidson, go from 15 to 31 MSPs, 1 to 13 MPs and from 115 to 276 councillors. In the past year alone I have attended the Highland, North East and West Conferences as well as Scottish and National Conventions, Conferences in Glasgow, Cardiff and Manchester and meetings of the Management Board in Edinburgh, representing you, the members and volunteers. I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting party members from Inverness to the Borders. On behalf of you all, I give a huge thanks to our Party Director, Mark McInnes, and his staff in Central Office and to the Regional Campaign Managers for all their hard work and dedication. I also particularly thank Victoria Roberts and Matt Edmonds who have worked so hard to deliver this Conference. In last year’s message I wrote that a conference is an opportunity to re-charge your battery, be inspired and encouraged and to contribute to the energy of the Party. I think you certainly did that since look at what we achieved just a few weeks later! So once again, make the most of the Conference and what it has to offer and, above all, enjoy it! ROBERT C B FORMAN MBE WS Chairman’s Annual Report I am very pleased to welcome you to Aberdeen for this year’s Party Conference. Following our great success in 2016 at the Scottish Parliament Election, 2017 was another very successful year for the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Last May we more than doubled our number of Councillors at the Local Government Elections and now have Councillors in every local authority in mainland Scotland. The Party overtook Labour to become the second largest party of Local Government. Many areas across Scotland from West Dunbartonshire and Midlothian to Highland and the Western Isles now have Scottish Conservative Councillors for the first time in many years. Here in Aberdeen we went from having 2 Councillors prior to the election to now having 11 and are joint leaders in the Council Administration. With Conservative Councillors working hard in their local communities and championing Conservative values across Scotland there is every reason to be optimistic for the Party’s future. In the midst of the Local Government Elections the snap General Election was called. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Associations and our Candidates for stepping up at short notice to campaign in what was a transformational election for the Party in Scotland. In June last year we elected thirteen MPs and managed to unseat the very major players of the SNP, Alex Salmond and Angus Robertson. There are areas in Scotland such as Clackmannanshire and Cumnock which have a Conservative and Unionist MP for the first time in over half a century. With 6 out of 7 seats, we now have more MPs in the North East of Scotland than any other Party. My congratulations go to Alister Jack, David Mundell, John Lamont, Bill Grant, Paul Masterton, Stephen Kerr, Luke Graham, Kirstene Hair, Andrew Bowie, Ross Thomson, Colin Clark, David Duguid and Douglas Ross on their excellent results. These results hammered home the message to Nicola Sturgeon that Scotland does not want a second independence referendum. In my work as Chairman I have met many Party members from across Scotland at various campaign days and fundraising functions. I always enjoy meeting Party members so please do get in touch with me if I can be of any help. Finally I would like to express my thanks to my colleagues on the Party’s Management Board and the staff at Central Office who have ably assisted me as Chairman and also I would like to thank you, our Party members and activists, for all that you have done and all that you continue to do for the Party – it is very much appreciated.