With all 690 candidates for the Scottish Parliament elections confirmed, the race is now officially on across the country. The Scottish Conservatives have published their manifesto, download our briefing to find out how their policies might affect your organisation, including deep dives into energy, health and housing:
The polls so far show an opposition landscape in Scotland that has been dramatically redrawn. With Labour support falling and Reform and Greens rising, the Conservatives, who held 31 seats in 2021, are predicted to fall to somewhere between 9 and 15 seats, with polling variation reflecting genuine uncertainty about where their support will ultimately land.
For the Scottish Conservatives specifically, this is survival politics. The party has explicitly positioned the election as a “stop the SNP majority” campaign, betting that tactical voting on the regional list will be enough to prevent Swinney from claiming a referendum mandate. Russell Findlay has made clear this is not a campaign to win government - it’s a campaign to deny government to the SNP and reset the terms of opposition.
Whether that strategy works depends partly on polling variance and partly on how voters respond to the independence question in the final weeks. But the Conservative manifesto itself is built for opposition, not government. The party is articulating a clear alternative vision - lower taxes, lower benefits spending, energy policy based on affordability rather than net zero targets, and regulatory relief for business. These are opposition arguments, not government commitments.
Beyond tax, the major policy commitments include:
- Energy and Net Zero: Scrap the 2045 net zero target entirely. North Sea oil and gas to be Scotland's "primary energy system." Support new nuclear generation. Pause all major renewable energy applications pending a new National Energy Policy. Allow local communities to veto energy infrastructure. Abolish the Energy Consents Unit.
- Health: Double general practice funding to guarantee 48-hour GP appointments. Increase NHS funding above inflation each year. Tackle waiting lists through private sector capacity purchases. Prevent closure of any community hospital. Introduce a Women's Health Charter. Close the drug consumption room.
- Housing: Scrap LBTT on primary residences. Cut Additional Dwelling Supplement from 8% to 4%. Stop new house-building regulations. Reverse the local connection requirement for housing. Build 75,000 affordable homes over five years.
- Farming and Rural Affairs: Provide £50m uplift to rural affairs portfolio and multi-year funding for farmers. Review farm payment distribution. Scrap the 2045 net zero target as incompatible with food security. Establish New Entrants' Support Scheme. Give farmers and crofters veto rights over rewilding projects.
- Food and Drink: Establish dedicated exports division. Conduct regulatory review to remove "harmful" regulations. Oppose restrictions on alcohol advertising, marketing, and sponsorship.
- Transport: Fast-track trunk road upgrades (A9, A75, A77, A83, A90, A96). Establish National Pothole Action Fund and National Bridge Restoration Fund. Abolish car usage reduction targets; oppose congestion charges. Ban new Low Emission Zones.
Read our full Conservative manifesto analysis here.
Written by Sam Rowe