London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

Scotland becoming smaller under SNP - Douglas Ross

Scotland becoming smaller under SNP - Douglas Ross

Scotland must shake off the "dead hand of nationalism" if it is to avoid becoming increasingly bitter and inward looking, the Scottish Conservative leader has said.

Douglas Ross told the party's conference in Aberdeen that he grew up in a Scotland that was confident and outward looking.

But he argued that Scotland was now divided against itself.

He said the country was becoming "smaller every day" under the SNP.

Mr Ross missed the weekly First Minister's Questions session in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday because of a bad throat - but was well enough to deliver his speech.

He welcomed Prime Minister Boris Johnson to the conference on Friday afternoon, with the two men shaking hands on stage ahead of Mr Johnson's speech.

Mr Ross called for the PM to step down earlier this year over lockdown parties in Downing Street - but withdrew that last week, saying the row should be "put on pause" because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

He said the only person who would benefit from Mr Johnson being removed from office would be Vladimir Putin.

But his comments were condemned by political opponents, with SNP MP Ian Blackford describing it as an "utterly humiliating u-turn" and Labour leader Anas Sarwar saying Mr Ross "should not be using the Ukraine crisis to go back on his principles".

Mr Ross shook hands with the prime minister at the conference on Friday despite calling for him to quit two months ago


In his speech, Mr Ross asked whether anyone would say that Scotland is a better place today than it was when the SNP first came to power in 2007.

He said: "The nation I grew up in was confident and outward looking, yet the nation my children grow up in today is far more bitter and inward-facing.

"That isn't a record that any government should be proud of - Scotland is becoming a smaller country every day that the SNP remain in power.

"We are becoming worse off, both economically and intellectually, because we are stuck with a government that won't take any responsibility."

He also called on Tory activists to "bring together the silent majority of working people to end this stalemate" and provide a real alternative for people who are "fed up with the last 15 years of SNP stagnation".

'Referendum obsession'


He said that this alternative would "end the referendum obsession" and "take back Scotland from the SNP and allow us all to move forward together".

The two-day Scottish Conservative conference has seen the party call for the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) to be scrapped in Scotland's schools.

And it has unveiled plans to bring forward a bill in the Scottish Parliament that would create a register of domestic abusers.

The database would work in a similar manner to the sex offenders register, with police or local authorities being able to take action if a risk was identified.


We've got used to the Scottish Conservatives going into elections - not to win - but to retain second place. That was the case at last year's Holyrood election. It will be again at the council elections in May.

What has changed is that Douglas Ross has set a much greater ambition for the future - to replace Nicola Sturgeon as first minister in 2026.

That might sound far-fetched. The gap between the parties is huge and Mr Ross accepts a political mountain lies ahead. He is also aware of the potential for his UK party leader and the partygate scandal to drag down Scottish Tory fortunes.

That is why Boris Johnson got no mention, never mind an endorsement in this speech, even if Douglas Ross has dropped calls for the PM's resignation.


Mr Ross said it is time for Scotland to move on from its "referendum obsession"


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
×