Never fall for ’14 years of failure’ rhetoric, says Tory chairman

The chairman of the Conservative Party has urged activists to “never fall” for accusations they presided over “14 years of failure”.

Kevin Hollinrake on Friday addressed the party’s final conference before the Holyrood election in May, seeking to fight back against criticism of its time in government between 2010 and 2024.

Opposition parties have often sought to attack the Tories for their time in office, especially the leadership chaos of the final few years.

But speaking at the Scottish Conservative conference in Edinburgh, Mr Hollinrake said: “Let us be clear, this election in May is absolutely crucial for the future of Scotland and for the future of the United Kingdom.

“Time and time again, it is our party that has turned this country around – never fall for this 14 years of failure nonsense.

“Yes, of course we made mistakes, but who was it that balanced the book on day-to-day spending after the financial crisis where we had a larger deficit than Greece’s – an economy in deep recession?

“Who was it who oversaw the jobs miracle that cut joblessness by 1.2 million? That cut workless households by hundreds of thousands? That made education reforms that led to soaring standards? That cut street crime by 50%? That helped to keep hundreds of thousands of businesses afloat and millions of people in work during Covid? And that kept Jeremy Corbyn out of Number 10 Downing Street.”

The party did “make mistakes”, Mr Hollinrake said, pointing to immigration and welfare reform, but he added: “One thing that 19 years of SNP rule shows you – we may not be perfect, but we’re an awful lot better than the alternatives.”

Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said “This is an embarrassing attempt to defend the last Tory government’s indefensible record.

“The Tories are an irrelevance in this election, but Scottish Labour can get rid of this failing SNP Government and deliver a new direction for Scotland.”