Ruth Davidson has today welcomed the Chancellor’s autumn statement as a clear sign that the Conservatives are the party of working families.
The Scottish Conservative leader said she backed George Osborne’s decision to maintain tax credits.
She also backed the decision to help first time buyers and those locked out of the housing market with a doubling of the housing budget – and called on the SNP to follow suit by bringing forward its own shovel-ready projects immediately.
She is also calling on the SNP Government to rule out any increase in the tax burden north of the border as major new powers are transferred to Holyrood over the coming years.
Ruth said:
“The Conservatives are the party of the worker, raising the minimum wage to £9 an hour. I am pleased that changes to tax credits which could have undone that good work, will not go ahead and I applaud the Chancellor for listening.
“He has shown once again that it is the Conservative party, north and south of the border, which is on the side of working families.
“In taking the tough decisions on reducing our debt, in supporting people who do the right thing by going to work every morning, and in building more homes so they can fulfil the dream of owning a house, this government is putting Britain on the right track.
“This spending review hands the Scottish Government a 14% real terms increase in capital spending up till 2021. The SNP needs to put shovels in the ground immediately so we too get the new homes, the better transport routes, and the high quality schools that people are waiting for.
“The spending review also makes it clear that there absolutely no case for the SNP hiking up taxes on working families when new powers are transferred to it.
“This UK Government will deliver security and opportunity for all people in Britain. We are on the way back as a nation which once again is paying our way in the world.
“We won’t get that with Labour’s extreme plan to hike up taxes, nor the SNP’s separatist plan which would blow a multi-billion black hole in Scotland’s budget.”