THE SCOTTISH Conservatives have claimed their plans to rebuild the country’s economy would create at least 200,000 new jobs over the next five years.
Analysis by the party found the Scottish Tories’ manifesto proposals could deliver hundreds of thousands of new jobs in the next parliamentary term.
The manifesto, launched earlier this week, placed a focus on rebuilding Scotland’s economy, protecting jobs and backing business.
The document pledged to make ending unemployment the party’s number one priority in the next Scottish Parliament.
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Proposals to protect jobs included £500 retrain to rebuild grants to kick-start a skills revolution, job security councils and rapid retraining courses to help people reskill and move careers.
The Tories also want to bring forward an enterprise bill within the first 100 days of the new Holyrood term to set up an economic development agency in every region.
The manifesto also included business policies including rates relief that the party says would save the average shop more than £3,000, plans to scrap public car parking charges to help revive town centres hit by the pandemic.
The party has also brought forward green growth proposals to help businesses innovate and create more green jobs, plans for a new Scottish exporting institute, and a new ‘Scotland First’ approach to public procurement.
Scottish Conservative leader, Douglas Ross, said: “Our bold and ambitious proposals would create hundreds of thousands of jobs over the next few years.
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“We have outlined a detailed blueprint to get Scotland’s economy moving again and start repairing the damage from Covid.
“Restrictions could be safely eased at a faster pace now to kick-start the economy and Scottish Conservative proposals would help businesses get back on their feet, so they can protect current jobs and start creating the jobs of the future.”
He added: “The looming jobs crisis must be treated as an economic emergency and tackled urgently by a Scottish Parliament 100% focused on Scotland’s recovery.
“If pro-UK voters unite and give their party list votes on the peach ballot paper to the Scottish Conservatives, we can stop an SNP majority, stop another referendum and get all of the focus back onto rebuilding Scotland.”
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