Tories the only party with realistic cash plans

Yes you've guessed it the only party with realistic cash plans are the Scottish Tories.

According to Professor Arthur Midwinter who is visiting professor at the institute for Public Sector Accounting at Edinburgh University,

The Tories are the only party to give "modest, fully costed proposals", rather than making "fiscally irresponsible" assumptions. Despite being a vociferous critic of the fiscal policies of the Thatcher government, Prof Midwinter praises the party for setting realistic goals for efficiency savings and costing promises made on issues like crime and education.

He wrote: "This is quite simply the most transparent and realistic set of policy and financial proposals I have read in the lead-up to the current election and far superior to the creative accounting and rosy assumptions in the policy statements of the other major opposition party, the SNP."

He continues in similar vein

"The report is well written and lucid, and returns to traditional Tory concerns, such as families, decentralisation to local government and the primacy of law-and-order issues, with little right-wing rhetoric favouring pro-market approaches across the public sector.

"The Conservatives' return to the centre ground increases the prospects for influencing developments - even outwith a coalition."

He does have some criticisms and said

the Scottish Conservatives are wrong to cite low growth and increased local taxation, which have in fact improved. He also said their policy on mutualising Scottish Water, cutting council tax for pensioners and allocating hospital resources to follow patients must be redrawn.

Annabel Goldie, the party leader, pledged to stick to

"credible" plans to influence the next Scottish Parliament: "We know from the doorsteps that our policies are being well received and are in tune with the voters' concerns about the bread-and-butter issues."

So as usual we see the Tories coming out with simple sensible policies based upon sound finances. Professor Midwinters comments for the other parties are below

Condemned the SNP's plans as

"an uncosted wish-list with a £1.8 billion black hole at its heart".

He has also criticised the Labour Party for merely

"muddling through" rather than taking important decisions on the economy

and he accused the Lib Dems of

"confused political and economic theorising".

Tories 'only party with realistic cash plans'