by William Coulter
University of Stirling Conservative Society
Why a Tory? This may be the question some of you ask upon reading this article. I mean, really? The party of the rich, a clique of out of touch posh boys from Oxbridge, a gang of raging capitalists? Why would I ever want to join that lot? Well, in this article I hope to convince you of our cause and why I believe it is vital we gain enough support this coming election, both to hold the government to account and make a positive case for the union.
First I wish to stress that not every Conservative comes from a background of wealth and privilege as many would have you believe. Take our leader Ruth Davidson, a woman who came from working class background, served in the Territorial Army, and a person who is absolutely committed to public service. A good many of our fine candidates have this in common and all are determined to serve their constituents to the best of their abilities. The fact also that the Tories have done more to clamp down on corporate tax avoidance in five years than Labour did in thirteen is also worth mentioning.
I have chosen to join the Scottish Conservatives because it is the only party that has made any attempt since the referendum to make a positive case for the union and the only party that can effectively hold the SNP government to account for its failings. Look at the Labour Party now, stuck in the past and cursed with leaders that cannot decide how best to peel a banana – let alone serve as a credible alternative to the SNP. They have also, in my view, let down those who campaigned so passionately for the UK in the referendum. For me, the only party that can stand up for the union are the Scottish Conservatives.
Why a Tory? This may be the question some of you ask upon reading this article. I mean, really? The party of the rich, a clique of out of touch posh boys from Oxbridge, a gang of raging capitalists? Why would I ever want to join that lot?”
Now, some may think while reading this that they should vote SNP because, well, they abolished tuition fees, which is awesome…right? Well, not really – the actuality is that the Scottish Government, because of banning the fees, have instead decided to cut budgets to colleges which support many from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. Let us not forget as well that despite their headline grabbing free tuition policy, recent reports suggest that the levels of debt faced by Scottish students has gone up and the bursaries that many people rely on have been slashed. I believe that these failings in higher education by the SNP need to come under greater scrutiny and the Conservatives are the best party to hold them to account.
Now about our society – we meet every Wednesday at C2W5 at 7:00pm. Don’t feel you have to be a Tory to come along – we welcome anyone of any political persuasion. In our meetings we debate, discuss, go on trips, meet local candidates, and eat pizza – which is epic. So please, join us and together we can stand up for the union and secure a better future for Scotland.
