Cameron bullish on Scotland: 'There are no no-go areas'

Published on Friday 23 May 2008 22:25

DAVID Cameron yesterday publicly offered to work with Alex Salmond's government, insisting he would respect the will of the Scottish people if he became prime minister.

The Conservative leader promised that if he took over in Downing Street while the SNP held power at Holyrood he would not frustrate Nationalist initiatives.

Aware that he might win power without a mandate from Scotland, Mr Cameron said he wanted to send the message that he would observe the democratic authority of the Scottish Government.

The Conservative leader has been warned that a Tory victory at the next Westminster general election might fuel the pro-independence movement in Scotland, particularly if the Tories secure only a small number of seats in Scotland.

In his keynote speech to the Scottish Conservative Conference in Ayr, Mr Cameron said: "To the people of Scotland I make this guarantee: whatever the outcome in Scotland of the next general election, a Conservative government will govern the whole of the United Kingdom, including Scotland, with respect," he said.

"Whoever is Scotland's first minister, I would be a prime minister who acts on the voice of the Scottish people, and will work tirelessly for consent and consensus so we strengthen the Union."

Still basking in his party's success in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election, Mr Cameron insisted that the Conservatives could make gains in Scotland, declaring: "There really are no 'no-go areas' for us anymore."

Mr Cameron derided Labour's problems over an independence referendum and praised Annabel Goldie, the Scottish Tory leader, saying: "It's Solid Goldie versus Bendy Wendy".

But his main theme was to argue that the Union prospered when the Conservatives prospered.

Mr Cameron also said he was prepared to compromise over the Barnett Formula, the controversial rule which allocates extra spending to Scotland, and the voting rights of Scottish MPs to protect the Union.