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Cameron aims for Scotland 'proof' Cameron makes pledge on Scotland
(about 1 hour later)
Conservative leader David Cameron has repeated his promise to ensure Scotland is not taken for granted by his party, saying he will prove things can change. Conservative leader David Cameron has vowed to prove that his party will not take Scotland for granted.
Mr Cameron, who described the Tories' representation in Scotland as "dismal", said he intended things to change but acknowledged it would not be overnight. He also urged voters to judge would-be Labour leader Gordon Brown on his actions not his "Scottishness".
The Tories have just one MP across the border, 17 members of the Scottish Parliament and control one council. Mr Cameron told BBC One's The Politics Show Tory representation in Scotland was "dismal", which he intended to change but it would not be overnight.
Scotland needed a "strong, sensible, moderate, centre-right party" he said. The Conservatives have just one MP north of the border, 17 MSPs and have control of one local council.
'Sceptical' 'Centre ground'
Speaking on the Politics Show Scotland on BBC1, Mr Cameron said: "People in Scotland are rightly sceptical. They see a politician saying he's changing his party and they want proof; they want to see it's for real - and I'm going to prove it's for real. " Mr Cameron said Scotland needed a "strong, sensible, moderate, centre-right party".
He said the changes would take time, adding: "I'm going to prove to people in Scotland that the Conservative party is there for them, it's there in the centre ground, it shares their concerns - health, crime, the environment (not banging on about the institutional arrangements the whole time). He added: "People in Scotland are rightly sceptical. They see a politician saying he's changing his party and they want proof, they want to see it's for real, and I'm going to prove it's for real.
"I'm going to prove to people in Scotland that the Conservative party is there for them, it's there in the centre ground, it shares their concerns - health, crime, the environment."
We need to make devolution work...one part of devolution that doesn't work is that Scottish MPs can vote on matters that don't affect their own constituents David Cameron
He said he regarded Labour, the Liberals and the Scottish Nationalists as providing "the big state of failure".He said he regarded Labour, the Liberals and the Scottish Nationalists as providing "the big state of failure".
"We need in Scotland a strong, sensible, moderate, centre-right party," he added. On Gordon Brown, the Tory leader said: "People should, will judge politicians on what they say, what they do.
We need to make devolution work...one part of devolution that doesn't work is that Scottish MPs can vote on matters that don't affect their own constituents Conservative leader David Cameron "The British public are pretty good at working out who does what, who says what.
"That's what they should do with Gordon Brown and that's what they should do with me."
'West Lothian' question
The MP for Witney in Oxfordshire, who will be making a speech in Edinburgh on Monday, also said he had "no particular view" on cutting the number of members of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, which is the policy of his party in Scotland.The MP for Witney in Oxfordshire, who will be making a speech in Edinburgh on Monday, also said he had "no particular view" on cutting the number of members of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, which is the policy of his party in Scotland.
But Professor John Curtice, of Strathclyde University, told the BBC1 show Mr Cameron had equivocated over the matter. But Professor John Curtice, of Strathclyde University, told the programme that Mr Cameron had equivocated over the matter.
He said: "If you're going to argue that you're now committed to Scotland and the Scottish Parliament, to equivocate on the number of MSPs doesn't necessarily indicate a clear sensitivity towards Scottishness and demonstrate that the Scottish Conservative Party is committed to devolution."He said: "If you're going to argue that you're now committed to Scotland and the Scottish Parliament, to equivocate on the number of MSPs doesn't necessarily indicate a clear sensitivity towards Scottishness and demonstrate that the Scottish Conservative Party is committed to devolution."
Mr Cameron denied his campaign to solve the so-called "West Lothian" question - where Scottish MPs can vote on issues which affect only England like health, law and order and education but not vice versa - was pandering to a "little Englander" agenda.Mr Cameron denied his campaign to solve the so-called "West Lothian" question - where Scottish MPs can vote on issues which affect only England like health, law and order and education but not vice versa - was pandering to a "little Englander" agenda.
He said: "We need to make devolution work ... one part of devolution that doesn't work is that Scottish MPs can vote on matters that don't affect their own constituents." He said: "We need to make devolution work...one part of devolution that doesn't work is that Scottish MPs can vote on matters that don't affect their own constituents."