Greene: Scottish Tory economy plans show they are the ‘nasty party’ again

Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Jamie Greene has said that the Scottish Conservatives’ finance plans, which the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said, “may not survive contact with reality”, show that the Tories are once again the “nasty party”. 

The respected think tank made its damning assessment in its initial response to the 2026 Tory manifesto launched in Edinburgh. 

Mr Greene condemned his former party’s reckless plans which amount to tax cuts paid for by the poorest in society and would push more Scottish children into poverty and make life harder for people living with disability and mental ill health. 

On how the Tories’ plans would be funded, the IFS was even more critical, slamming plans to fund Tory policy by cutting backroom and administration costs as “not credible” and raising serious questions about the effect on the quality of essential services. 

Scottish Liberal Democrats are committed to fair economic growth and will shortly publish a fully-costed manifesto focused on building a growing Scottish economy that will benefit everyone. 

For the first time in a long time, Scots can vote for a Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP wherever they live using their second peach-coloured regional ballot paper to choose change with fairness at its heart.

Jamie Greene said:

“If there was any doubt that the Tories under Russell Findlay are once again the nasty party of Scottish politics, this manifesto, which picks the pockets of the poorest and most vulnerable to line those of the wealthy, confirms it. 

“Scots will shortly give their verdict on this Tory callousness by rejecting them and returning more Scottish Liberal Democrat MSPs, committed to change with fairness at its heart”.