Goldie calls for US-style community court

Published on Sunday 4 October 2009 17:31

Tory leader Annabel Goldie will pledge to bring in an American style community court as she unveils new policies to her party's annual conference.

Miss Goldie is to use her speech to the Conservative conference in Manchester tomorrow to reveal the details of a number of new policies.

But at the same time she will also brand rivals Labour as being "devoid of any new ideas".

As part of her speech Miss Goldie will promise that the Conservatives would establish a new fast track community court in Glasgow.

Scottish Government ministers have previously shelved plans to set up such a court in the city.

However Miss Goldie will say: "To protect the public and to ensure swift and effective justice I can announce today that the Scottish Conservatives would establish a fast track community court in Glasgow.

"Based on the New York model, criminals would be brought to court quickly, dealt with swiftly and if appropriate made to carry out their sentences immediately."

The Scottish Tory leader will also use her conference speech to reveal new policies on protecting whistleblowers in the NHS and on the creation of a fund aimed at boosting business start-ups.

She will proclaim: "The Conservative Party has new ideas, new policies – solutions to problems. We're offering hope."

In contrast to that she will brand Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy and Labour Holyrood leader Iain Gray as "policy-free zones".

And she will tell the audience: "Labour is devoid of any new ideas, devoid of hope, devoid of direction."

However Labour justice spokesman Richard Baker said community courts were a Labour policy.

He claimed: "Tough community courts based on the US court models in Redhook and Midtown were developed by Labour in government."

Mr Baker added: "Trying to pass off as new policies that are already being pursued exposes the fact that the Tories just don't have the ideas.

"No wonder David Cameron's Conservatives are less popular in Scotland than even Mrs Thatcher was."