Fraser’s vision wins councillors’ votes

As elected Scottish Conservative councillors and group leaders, we fully support Murdo Fraser’s idea to transform our party into a new, centre-right force in Scottish politics (your report, 21 September).

As people who are on the front line of politics in communities right across Scotland, we know how many people feel frustrated and let down by local councils run by parties of the centre-left; parties which spend wastefully and fail to provide good, value-for-money local services.

Such people are crying out for a centre-right alternative that provides the highest quality of service at the lowest possible cost. But despite sharing our values and supporting many of our policies, many people across Scotland will not countenance voting Conservative.

So we have first-hand experience of the problems our party has in connecting with people in Scotland.

We believe that a new, centre-right party with a distinct Scottish identity and policies that are made here in Scotland will be the essential first step in reconnecting with voters at the local level.

And once people learn that they can trust this new party to act in their interests and introduce policies that improve the quality of life in their local communities, we will attract new supporters from all walks of life.

This will be helped enormously by the fact that Murdo Fraser has made it clear he will put localism at the heart of this new party’s agenda.

As parties of the centre-left, both Labour and the SNP have been responsible for the centralising trend in Scottish politics.

It is high time we reversed this trend, which is failing people across Scotland. Scotland is a diverse country and we need to recognise that in the way we deliver vital public services.

That means freeing up local councils so that they can respond effectively to the differing needs and wishes of their local communities.

That is why we believe that the new, centre-right party Murdo Fraser proposes will not only transform Scottish politics for the better but also transform Scotland for the better.

(Cllr) Marcus Humphrey

Aberdeenshire Council

(Cllr) Jeremy Balfour

City of Edinburgh Council

(Cllr) Ivor Hyslop

Dumfries and Galloway Council

(Cllr) Dave Dempsey Fife Council

(Cllr) Alexander Stewart

Perth and Kinross Council