Tories go fishing for Euro votes

Struan Stevenson warned against a European "super-state"

The Scottish Conservatives have launched their campaign manifesto for the European Parliament elections.

The party promised to fight for "a Europe of nation states, not a nation called Europe".

It opposes plans for a European Constitution and has pledged to withdraw from the Common Fisheries Policy should it gain power.

Tory candidates will tour Scotland's towns and cities during the campaign before the 10 June poll.

Fishing industry

The party currently has two MEPs, Mr Stevenson and John Purvis.

It hopes to get more than that in June's elections and increase its vote share, despite a reduction in the number of Scottish seats.

At its manifesto launch in Glasgow, the Scottish Tories pledged to resist the transfer of more power from the UK to the European Union.

Mr Stevenson said: "We have a clear vision of Europe, a Europe of independent nation states working together to create jobs and prosperity in a common market, not this integrated, centralised, bureaucratic, super-state that the French and Germans seem to want."

I think Europe has been a huge success but I think there are some parts of it that are not in Scotland's interest, not in Britain's interest. Peter Duncan MP

The manifesto says "no" to the proposed European Constitution, or rulebook, which they claim will hand more power to Brussels-based bureaucrats.

There was a "no" to more red tape.

Instead, the party wants a 25% reduction in EU regulations.

And there was also a "no" to the Common Fisheries Policy, with a promise to negotiate withdrawal if the Tories are elected at Westminster.

Mr Stevenson, who tops the Tories' Europe list, said: "Our candidates have spent the past two weeks visiting Thurso, Orkney, Shetland, Ullapool, the Western Isles, Skye, and attending our party conference in Dundee.

"They know we're a party on the front foot, and that our message on Europe is resonating with the public.

"We will continue this on the battle bus over the next two weeks, from Melrose to Motherwell, from Drymen to Dornoch and from Fort William to Fraserburgh."

Scotland's sole Tory MP Peter Duncan told BBC Scotland that the "stakes were high" for the Scottish fishing industry but his party would push for change when in government.

He said: "The prize is high too because we have to restore confidence in an industry that is clearly collapsing.

'Huge success'

"Yes, it's difficult, we have never pretended otherwise but the reality is we will seek to secure a negotiated agreement in Europe and if we are unable to secure that negotiated agreement we will take the steps necessary to return control of our fisheries to our national parliament and local control."

Mr Duncan said the fishing industry would be one of the "very first priorities" for a Conservative government.

The Galloway and Upper Nithsdale MP said he accepted that his party had make mistakes in relation to its stance on Europe in the past on matters such as the Maastricht Treaty but so had other parties.

He added: "I think Europe has been a huge success but I think there are some parts of it that are not in Scotland's interest, not in Britain's interest.

"That's what the Conservative Party and the Scottish Conservatives are now committed to."