Douglas Ross lays out his party's economic growth plan and says he's 'sick of SNP whining'
Scotland can do better than another 'Sturgeon mould' government says Douglas Ross who lays out the Scottish Conservative plan with tax cuts and economic growth at the heart of it
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Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross will today attack the "whining" SNP over their "unsustainable" Scotland as he unveils a major new plan to transform the country's sluggish economy.
“I am sick and tired of the SNP whining that they do not have the financial levers at their disposal to make a difference," he will say. He is expected to launch a scathing attack on the Nats alongside the launch of his party's new 'Grasping the Thistle' economic strategy.
Speaking in Edinburgh, the Moray MP will lay out details of a four-point plan for growth including tax cuts and the creation of a new Joint Economic Board with ministers from both Scottish and UK governments. He will also call for a National Workforce Plan to align the education system with the needs of employers and "regional clusters of excellence", adding that "economic growth should be put firmly at the centre of our national political agenda."
As First Minister Humza Yousaf prepares to set out his plan for the year ahead, he will tell voters that Scotland "cannot have yet another Programme for Government in the Sturgeon mould".
READ MORE: SNP to hammer a quarter of Scots with brutal council tax hikes despite cost-of-living crisis
Mr Ross is expected to say: "Humza Yousaf has a £60billion budget at his disposal and total control over our devolved public services.
"Scotland deserves a government that is focused on the real priorities of the Scottish people. If we do not act now, then we risk leaving a poorer Scotland to the next generation. As a father to two young boys, that makes me worried for their future. But as a politician it would be a dereliction of duty if I did not act.
"I say ditch the nationalist independence campaign and lead a national government for all of Scotland. Abandon the constitutional fights with the UK Government and work with the rest of our country. We need to focus on the big challenges we all face – not on the narrow political interests of a few."
On SNP failures he will say: "The Scotland we live in today is unsustainable – despite the efforts of hardworking staff, our essential services are on their knees, reeling from one winter crisis after another.
"None of us can afford for things to go on as they are, we need solutions to the big challenges that Scotland is facing, so we cannot have yet another Programme for Government in the Sturgeon mould.
"Tinkering around the edges for its own sake and focusing on divisive niche issues will not improve the lives of working families. Instead, we need to see real action."
Scotland is already the highest taxed part of the UK, with further hikes expected in the Holyrood budget in a bid to plug a £1billion black hole in the books. Council tax is already set to increase next year, with homeowners in Bands E to H facing rises of 7.5% to 22.5%.
However, Mr Ross will say: "Raising taxes is a short-term play, it chokes off future growth and revenue. As Scotland’s only party of the centre-right, we have a different solution, that we will argue for.
"That is why the Scottish Conservatives are today publishing our plan to grasp the thistle and grow Scotland's economy - because economic growth should be put firmly at the centre of our national political agenda.
"With a growing economy, we can better fund our essential public services and deliver real improvements. With a growing economy, we can keep household bills low by reducing tax. And with a growing economy, we can create good, well-paid jobs and better opportunities for the next generation.
"The prize of a wealthier more prosperous Scotland is there; we just need to do the long-term planning and hard work to seize it."
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