More school issues

Just recently the LibDems voted to close Drumbrae school despite massive opposition. Now we read that the LibDems have saved schools. Yet Drumbrae school is still closing.

It was the classic case of the "one size fits all and we know best" mentality that has plagued our education sector for so many years. The crazy thing is that the plans to close these schools won't actually save much money because Edinburgh council are not reducing the number of people employed in the Education department. It also makes a mockery of the SNP plans to reduce class sizes- after all they are the LibDems partners on the council.

Just to add insult to injury, their PPC is now calling for "new investment to give schools the flexibility to reduce class sizes or develop one-to-one tuition and improve discipline." It seems that, as ever they are facing both ways and hoping that the public wont notice. Well we have, and with only 80 odd days till the election, memories will last.

Compare this to the plans that the Conservatives have to allow parents and others to set up and run new schools free of council interference.

Very soon we will have the choice of supporting a failed Labour Government who are backed by the LibDems and a new Conservative Government who believe in setting people free to get on with life wthout government interference.

So, if you want change, Vote conservative. A vote for anyone else will change nothing.

Its time for change

We now have less than 90 days until the most likely date for the general election of 6th May. The media is full of reports and comments about politics and I'm sure that you will soon get heartily sick of it all.

Ultimately we will get our chance to have our say. It comes down to a simple choice. Do we want another 5 years of a Labour government who have brought the country to bankruptcy, increased inequality while reducing social mobility along the way? or do we want a change?

Do we want a new government that will reduce the debt and rebuild a broken society?

If the answer to the latter is yes, then only a vote for the Scottish Conservatives will make that difference.

At the European Elections, we were within 2% of overtaking the Liberals. Since then, the Liberal MP has announced his retirement and our private polling shows that even more people are supporting our call for change.

We have an excellent chance to contribute to change in Edinburgh West, tell your friends.

"Vote Conservative for change, a vote for anyone else changes nothing"

Lib Dems and the local income tax

The Council tax, like any tax is not popular, although much of the reason for theis can be laid at the door of the Labour government which over the past 11 years has heaped more and more responsibilities onto local authorities without a corresponding increase in revenue to cope. Given the gearing effect of the tax, the increases have been disproportionate. It has been the ultimate Labour stealth tax.

Alex Salmond’s SNP want to replace this with a so called local income tax, which is not local. Given their lack of a majority in the Scottish parliament the SNP need help. Step forward the Liberal Democrats who seem keen to support the SNP in making Scotland a less attractive place to live not to say more expensive for young couples where both are working. I’m sure that the voters of Edinburgh and elsewhere will remember the Lib Dems support of this flawed idea at the next elections and will vote accordingly.

Far better the solution proposed by the Conservatives which seeks to reform rather than replace the council tax and in so doing will cut bills for everyone.