NEW Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross will unveil a new economic plan on Monday.
Early details of the proposals show a focus on transport and infrastructure investment and it will fulfil a pledge made during his campaign to succeed Jackson Carlaw earlier this month – which concluded with him being named leader after no other challengers emerged.
Ross said he would outline his strategy to increase employment and recover economically from the coronavirus pandemic within the first month of his leadership.
Coming ahead of the programme for government – the Scottish Government’s legislative agenda for this parliamentary session – the Tory leader will push for an increase in spending on infrastructure.
He said: “The programme for government this week must focus on how we recover from this crisis, protect jobs and rebuild Scotland’s economy from the brink.
“It should be a programme to invest in infrastructure and connect communities across the country, leaving nowhere behind.”
The Tories will call for a fully integrated transport system, with an Oyster card-like payment method that would work across all public transport networks, as well as faster rail links between Glasgow and Edinburgh and Aberdeen and Inverness connections with the central belt.
Ross added that improving travel links within the country would result in Scotland being brought “closer together”.
He said: “Scotland has been too divided for too long, not only constitutionally but economically too. We need a massive acceleration of infrastructure projects to bring people across Scotland closer together.
“These proposals would better-connect businesses across the country and boost productivity, delivering more money for public services and bringing more high-quality jobs to towns and cities that often get overlooked in favour of Edinburgh.”
The plan would also see the creation of a so-called Scottish Dynamo, similar to the Northern Powerhouse and the Midlands Engine in England, providing investment to Scottish infrastructure.
One of the key proposals would see a joint investment vehicle between the Scottish and UK governments to expand the investment created by city and growth deals north of the border – where both governments and local councils provide funding for major infrastructure projects.
The new Tory leader, and MP for Moray, concluded: “We need to take power back from the government in Edinburgh and put power in the hands of people and communities across Scotland. We can do that by making it just as easy and attractive for a business to set up in Inverness as in Glasgow.
“We need a long-term strategic vision but it must begin now. We cannot wait any longer to plan a stronger Scottish economy. With both our governments pulling together, Scotland can build back better.”
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