Victory for the Tories at the general election will save Scotland from the nationalist “threat”, Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie claimed yesterday.
She vowed to fight “tooth and nail” against what she described as Alex Salmond’s “extreme views” – and challenged the first minister to a head-to-head debate.
Miss Goldie threw down the gauntlet at the Tory conference in Manchester. And she announced three policy initiatives for Scotland.
Her party is calling for a £10million-a-year government-backed “business dividend fund” to encourage local councils to help new business start-ups.
Miss Goldie said the Tories will also propose measures to strengthen protection for NHS “whistle-blowers”.
“Our doctors, our nurses, our health workers, must not be afraid to speak up about anything which compromises patient safety or patient care,” she said.
And Tories would establish a fast-track community court in Glasgow, based on a New York model, which would see offenders brought to court quickly, dealt with swiftly and made to start their sentences “immediately”, she added.
Conservative leader David Cameron said one of his first tasks as prime minister would be to travel to Scotland to meet the first minister “and talk about how we are going to govern Scotland with respect, talk about how we are going to keep the United Kingdom together”.
Miss Goldie said those who claimed a Tory election victory would be bad for Scotland were scaremongering.
She said: “David Cameron has pledged a relationship of mutual respect between our British and Scottish government. If elected prime minister he would host an annual council of nations with all the devolved first ministers, governing for Britain, replacing the politics of grudge and grievance with the politics of hope and optimism.
“Far from damaging Scotland, David Cameron as prime minister would help to secure Scotland from the SNP threat.”
Rounding on Mr Salmond, she said: “Your vision of Scotland and Britain’s future is extreme.
“It is an obsession and it is damaging. We are in the midst of a major recession, people are losing their jobs, the public finances are in a terrible state and you want to make it worse by wrenching Scotland out of a successful and strong relationship with the rest of Britain.
“Put aside your extreme views and your narrow separatist agenda and join with the Conservatives in sorting out Labour’s mess.”
Miss Goldie attacked calls for Mr Salmond to take part in a pre-election TV debate of main UK party leaders.
She said: “I say this to you – you are not standing in this election to become the British prime minister, you are not even standing to be an MP.
“The SNP is irrelevant at a British general election. However, I will debate with you any time you want.
“You’ve chickened out of that challenge in the past – it’s time to put up or shut up.”
A spokesman for Mr Salmond said Miss Goldie's attacks “simply underline the Tories' failure to understand and respect Scotland”.
Dundee East SNP MP Stewart Hosie said the refusal to contemplate involvement by Mr Salmond in a TV debate showed “David Cameron's ‘respect agenda' has collapsed at the first hurdle”.
Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray said Ms Goldie had a “brass neck" to steal Labour's plans for faster justice in Glasgow.
And West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles said her remarks showed the Tories did not offer the fresh start Scotland needs.