Annabel Goldie's New Year Message: Delivering for Scotland and telling it like it is

Annabel Goldie MSP, Scottish Conservative Leader, has issued her New Year's Message.

"2010 has been dominated by the UK General Election and the new coalition Government getting to grips with Labour's legacy of debt. And YouGov polling over the last 7 months demonstrates that David Cameron and the Conservatives are gaining approval for our actions in Government because we are getting on with the challenge and doing what we said we would do:

"2011 will be dominated by May's Scottish Elections as the country decides who should hold the reins of power at Holyrood for the next 4 years.

"I am proud to lead the Scottish Conservatives in that campaign when we will have an impressive record of achievement to put before the voters. Scotland has a minority government, and we have used our influence to deliver for Scotland.

"It is thanks to the Scottish Conservatives that there are more than 1,000 extra police in our communities, lower tax for our smallest businesses and a multi-million pound town centre regeneration fund.

"It is the Scottish Conservatives who have delivered a new national drugs strategy and new rules to try and keep our rural schools open.

"And without the Scottish Conservatives there would not have been a 3 year Council Tax freeze giving real help to millions of taxpayers across Scotland.

"All of that has been achieved with 16 Conservative MSPs.

"But the key challenge now facing all of Scotland's politicians is to face up to the tough choices ahead. There are going to be cuts. There is less money to spend. We owe it to the public to tell it like it is.

"My fear is that the long grass of beyond the election is proving irresistible to the other parties. Alex Salmond and Iain Gray are putting their short term popularity ahead of the national interest. Their watchwords seem to be "don't frighten the voters".

"But that attitude is patronising and wrong. It is hiding the truth from voters. It denies reality. It does a disservice to politics.

"My approach is different. The Scottish Conservatives will not duck the tough decisions. We will stand up and be counted.

"Our manifesto for May will be bursting with new ideas to deliver for Scotland by empowering people and communities, getting the government out of people's hair and setting our public services free from overburdening state control. We will unveil these plans over the coming weeks. But I give this pledge to Scotland. We will tell it like it is. We will get to grips with the challenges facing Scotland and we will take our country forward.

"May's election gives us the chance to say to the voters: Look at what we have done. Judge us on our record because we have delivered for Scotland."

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