Scottish Tory leader tries to lay ghost of Thatcher

SCOTTISH Tory leader Annabel Goldie was today attempting to lay the ghost of Thatcherism to rest by urging voters: "Judge us on today, not perceived echoes of the past."

Less than two weeks after senior Conservatives in Scotland held a special dinner to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Lady Thatcher's first election victory, Ms Goldie was due to use her party conference speech to appeal for the public to take a fresh look at the Tories.

She was expected to say: "I know for many people voting Conservative in Scotland is a big ask. Some have never done it, some last did it a long time ago.

"So I say to you judge us not on your perception of the echoes of the past but rather judge us on what we are now and what in the Scottish Parliament we are achieving."

Lady Thatcher's 11 years in Downing Street saw the introduction of the poll tax in Scotland a year ahead of the rest of the UK as well as the decline of most of the country's traditional industries.

The Tories lost all their Scottish MPs in the 1997 Labour landslide that brought Tony Blair to power and they still have only one Scots MP at Westminster.

But the party regained a foothold with the advent of the Scottish Parliament, which it opposed. And since the election of an SNP minority government, the Tories have won concessions from the Scottish Government on issues such as police numbers, business rates and drugs policy.

Ms Goldie is also expected to use her speech to warn a Conservative general election victory would not solve the country's problems overnight.

She is due to tell the conference in Perth: "Let's not pretend that everything will be sorted the minute Labour is deservedly kicked out of government. Labour's legacy of debt will be with us for years, perhaps decades to come. I'm still stunned that every baby born will be saddled with a debt of £22,500 because of this failing Labour government."

Meanwhile, Scottish Tories want mandatory minimum two-year jail terms for knife crime. Announcing the new policy, Ms Goldie was due to tell the conference: "Too many criminals carry and use knives, completely undeterred by the law, safe in the knowledge that the consequences for doing so are not what they should be. I fully respect the need to protect the ability of judges to sentence criminals as they see fit – but the time has come to send a tougher message.

"It is time to send a clear message that just carrying a knife means prison.

"Go out with a blade and you'll be going inside. Only in the most exceptional circumstances will the court have any discretion."