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“[The Scottish Conservatives] want guaranteed new funding for concessions secured last year such as cuts in business rates.
They want extra items such as town centre renewal, action on hospital acquired infection and outward bound training for kids. In all, they want £200m.
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| Brian Taylor, BBC Scotland Political Editor (January 27th 2009) |
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“Credit where it’s due. The one group that has come out of the Budget process well is the Conservative Party. They agreed a deal with the SNP before last week’s vote, they haven’t moved on their position and their agreement will ensure a £60million investment in the regeneration of Scotland’s decaying town centres.
“In total, their dealings with the Scottish Government has won them almost a quarter of a billion pounds in concessions. In addition to the £60 million for town centres they can claim credit for the £100 million in reducing small business rates, £13 million to increase numbers, £40 million in free personal care and £8 million to keep bus fares low.
“They’ve proved that a party with relatively few seats really can make a difference.”
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| Campbell Gunn, Political Editor, The Sunday Post (February 1st 2009) |
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“The Tories…voted responsibly, intent on relieving the worst of the recession. If only Labour had the same objective.”
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| Daily Express (January 29th 2009) |
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Primarily, [the Scottish Conservatives] want assurances that the deals they secured last year - police numbers, cut business rates, tackle drugs - will be rolled forward.
They also have a shopping list including such items as town centre renewal.
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| Brian Taylor, BBC Scotland Political Editor (January 21st 2009) |
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“Of the opposition parties, only the Tories have emerged with any credit, having negotiated a £230 million package of concessions. Labour and the Lib Dems were exposed as the worst chess players imaginable.”
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| The Scottish Sun (February 5th 2009) |
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“The Tories emerged with key concessions of a town centre regeneration fund and outdoor education.”
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| The Scotsman, (February 5th 2009) |
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“The only party which has come out of this episode with its reputation enhanced are the Tories. They demanded a useful and attainable addition to the programme funding urban regeneration.”
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| The Scotsman (February 5th 2009) |
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“It is true the Conservatives came out of the budget best…They got more than £234 million in their negotiations with the Nats – in extra spending for more policemen, a better deal for small businesses and greater help for town centres.”
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| Alan Cochrane, Daily Telegraph (February 5th 2009) |
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“The biggest opposition winners were the Tories, who secured £234 million for their own policies, including extra funding for police officers, a cut in business rates for 25,000 businesses and scrapping of them for 125,000 more. They also won a £60 million commitment to help regenerate town centres.”
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| Scottish Daily Express (February 5th 2009) |
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“However, the Scottish Tories, who yesterday won a significant £60 million concession from the government to regenerate town centres, trained their fire on Labour.”
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| The Courier (January 29th 2009) |
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“After winning concessions on police numbers and business rates in 2008, [Scottish Conservatives] supported the nationalists. This time round they made it two in a row after Finance Secretary John Swinney conceded a £60 million kitty for sprucing up town centres.”
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| The Courier (January 29th 2009) |
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As well as continuing commitments to pay for extra police and tax breaks for small businesses [the Scottish Conservatives] won a £60 million concession in the form of their Town Centre Regeneration scheme initiative”
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| Scottish Daily Mail (January 29th 2009) |
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| The Tories “gained the most significant concessions” |
| Jamie Livingstone, Political Reporter, STV’s Scotland Today (February 3rd 2009) |