Promoting Social Justice in Scottish Conservative Terms

If we are to succeed in convincing a sceptical Scottish electorate to trust us again, we have to convince them Conservative policies will help transform their lives for the better.

In areas of great deprivation across Scotland it is simple fact that decades of Labour rule at a local level, more recently supported by Labour rule at Westminster and from Holyrood, have made lives worse and not better. And yet people living in these areas still turned out in good numbers to elect Labour Members of Parliament just a few weeks ago.

Iain Duncan Smith has pointed the way for Conservatives in Scotland with his work in Easterhouse and through his Centre for Social Justice. It is clear the policies being advocated by Iain can make a difference to people looking for a political party to be on their side and to help them help themselves out of the problems they are in. Why then are we not able to get the message across to people in these areas that they are our priority?

So what do I think we should do? I believe it is time for Associations to adopt a project in their area where Conservative policy is being put to work in order to deliver Social Justice to those most in need of a helping hand. I know there are those who believe we need to be involved in research around a Scottish Social Justice agenda but I think the greatest need is to see action on the ground and to make an impact on those living in despair.

All the evidence based research is there for us to benefit from, thanks to the Centre for Social Justice, so all we need to do now is to turn it into work on the ground.

On a similar but different note, I also believe we should seek to task each of our Associations to become involved in working in their local communities on a Social Action agenda. Many of our members, particularly our Councillors, already set tremendous examples of Conservatives working on the ground in their local communities but we need to formalise this so that the Party can lend a hand when it can and where this is appropriate.

Wouldn't it be great to set ourselves a target that each Associations undertakes a Social Action project in their Constituency at least one day every six months? What each project is should be entirely down to those on the ground, but this sort of continuous work on behalf of constituents can only help to establish our credentials as a Party who care about our local communities.

It would be equally tremendous if that could be backed up by one Scottish Conservative Social Action project that runs over one week every year - something those of us who are interested in this sort of affirmative action travel to to see the project through to completion.

I know some members believe Social Action is too gimmicky and if it is something done simply for a photo and a press release I agree. My own belief is that we need to have a vision for the Scottish Conservative Party which places our actions across Scotland at the forefront of peoples minds when they question which party works hardest in their local community for the benefit of society.

Call it whatever you like but promoting Social Justice in Scottish Conservative Terms through the work we do to help those in need is exactly what we should be about.

Actions speak louder than words!

It matters what we say but it matters even more what we do in our local communities.

By working tirelessly to demonstrate to the people of Scotland that we mean what we say and that the policies will deliver a better Scotland we can turn around our brand image and make voting Conservative an easier prospect to entertain.

So here are just a few ideas as to what this could mean for a modern Scottish Conservative Party:

When the most vulnerable in our communities are at risk we need to be the ones there to help them. When snow falls on the ground we should have teams of activists ready to help elderly residents of sheltered housing complexes by clearing paths and pavements so they can get out and about safely.

The NHS is the public's No. 1 priority and it must be our top priority too. We need to campaign for a better NHS across Scotland and do so by being involved in local health issues. Access to world class health services, free at the point of delivery is what we are all about.

Taking an active interest in local employers and their problems means we can help create new jobs and protect those at risk in difficult economic times.

People care about their public services and so do we. So campaigning with local Councillors for better provision of services, even something as simple as more books in our libraries, is what we need to be all about.

We need to be the Party who ensure School buildings are fit for purpose and who look to better ways of funding refurbishment of existing schools and new build projects. It is our Councillor's who are closest to this issue and who get the complaints and requests for help from local parents. I believe we need to consult with them more often to ensure our education policies at local and national level provide a comprehensive platform for improving our schools estate.