Voters go to the polls today to elect more than 1000 councillors and 32 local authorities.
The election is crucial as it will determine how resources are spent in vital areas such as schools, roads and the environment.
Councils can also use their powers creatively to cut poverty levels and address the cost-of-living crisis. This election is a big deal.
Scotland has many mainstream political parties but only one is genuinely beyond the pale – the Tories.
Top of their charge sheet is the utter failure of the Conservative Government to address plummeting living standards.
Fuel bills are rocketing, supermarket prices have soared and the cost of petrol is increasing – but the Tory response barely touches the sides.
Their “loan” scheme to help address rising fuel bills is embarrassingly weak and the refusal to uprate benefits in line with inflation spiteful.
At the same time Tory ministers pushed ahead with a rise in National Insurance that hits workers and their employers, as well as a heartless cut to Universal Credit.
Despite the pain felt by millions of people, out-of-touch Tory Chancellor Rishi Sunak claimed it would be “silly” to provide more support to tackle rising energy bills now.
Boris Johnson’s Conservatives are indifferent to the plight of ordinary people and deserve to be punished today.
Sleaze is the other reason for why voters should use this election to hammer the Tories.
While Scots made huge sacrifices during the pandemic, Johnson and his Downing Street staff partied hard.
They arrogantly ignored the rules and expected never to get caught.
They were wrong and we are left with the appalling spectacle of a Prime Minister receiving a fixed penalty notice for attending a party during lockdown.
As was the case with John Major’s sleaze-ridden government in the 90s, scandal leads to more scandal.
A Tory MP has quit after disgracefully watching porn in the Commons while another resigned after being convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage boy.
The PR system used for the council elections allows voters to rank their favoured candidates.
Our plea to readers is to use your vote to send a clear message to Johnson that his behaviour has been unacceptable.
The Scottish Tories’ leader Douglas Ross’s flip-flopping is another reason to vote wisely against the Conservatives.
Ross initially called for Johnson to quit over Partygate only to U-turn on the eve of his party conference.
He volunteered to be the PM’s human shield and deserves to be condemned for his actions.
Scots should unite and hasten Johnson’s departure from Downing Street by voting against his Scottish branch office.
