ANNABEL Goldie, the Scottish Conservatives' leader, yesterday insisted she had "no regrets" about working with the SNP, despite accusations that the Tories have undermined the Union by propping up the Nationalist government.
Miss Goldie led the Scottish Tories in backing the SNP's Budget in return for concessions on police numbers, drugs policy and business rates in the face of intense criticism from other unionist parties.
She has now hit back at critics, telling Th
e Scotsman she would never let "philosophical" differences with another party prevent her from doing deals which help the people of Scotland.
Ms Goldie said: "I have no regrets about working with the SNP on an issue-by-issue basis and opposing them where they are wrong.
"If the suggestion is that it is wrong to work with another party to improve people's lives simply because of a separate philosophical issue, I would strongly disagree with that."
And she added: "By working constructively with the SNP, we have managed to get 1,000 extra police officers for Scotland, a cut in business rates, which has been very well received, and soon a drugs strategy to be published by the Scottish Government."
Miss Goldie said she was being "respectful" of Alex Salmond as Scotland's First Minister, but that did not mean she wanted to see him as prime minister of an independent Scotland.
Her comments came as the Scottish Tories gathered in Ayr for their annual conference, which starts today.
David Cameron, the party's UK leader, is due to address the conference this afternoon.
He is expected to use the Crewe and Nantwich by-election – which was forecast to be declared in the Tories' favour early this morning – to claim the Conservatives are on the way back to power.
Mr Cameron was expected to be in Crewe early this morning, before travelling to Ayr.
If, as appeared likely last night, the Tories defeat Labour in what has traditionally been one of the party's strongest areas, Mr Cameron will use the result to galvanise the Scottish Tories, telling activists that similar results can be achieved in Scotland, too.
Miss Goldie said she believed there was a "new optimism" in the Conservative Party north and south of the Border, which was reflected in the campaign for Crewe and Nantwich.
She said the "shambles" of Labour's on-off support for a referendum on independence had convinced an increasing number of people that only the Conservatives could stand up for the Union, which Labour had "betrayed".
The Scottish Tory leader also insisted she was not afraid to challenge Mr Cameron when necessary, and stressed the Scottish party's independence on devolved issues.
However, a Labour spokesman last night derided Miss Goldie's decision to support the SNP's Budget.
He said: "This is a Faustian pact Annabel entered into with Alex Salmond. She is propping up the SNP government, which would have collapsed had it not managed to get its Budget through.
"Meanwhile, Mr Salmond wants to do everything he can to help David Cameron into Downing Street, while he wants to capitalise on an anti-Tory vote in Scotland to undermine the Union."
