CIVIL servants in Scotland should not be allowed to work on independence, the Scottish Tories have said.
Russell Findlay, in a speech to be delivered in Glasgow on Monday, will also call for greater powers to be devolved down to Scottish councils.
The event will be the Scots Tories’ leader’s first significant speech since MSP Jeremy Balfour quit the party, saying it had “fallen into the trap of reactionary politics” and had little interest in “genuine policy innovation”.
MSP Jamie Greene also left the Conservatives Holyrood group in April, saying that Reform UK’s rise had shown “cracks in any veneer of decency left in the Conservative movement”.
With polls suggesting the Tories are set for a bruising loss at the 2026 Holyrood election, Findlay is aiming to appeal to the Unionist vote to limit the damage.
In a speech on Monday, he will say: “What happens at Holyrood is often a waste of time and taxpayers’ money. It fixates on fringe issues that the majority don’t care about.
“Parliament seems detached from reality. A new era of local power is needed to bring about change.
“Decision making in Scotland is too centralised. Power should be transferred from politicians to the people, where it belongs.
“The people running Scotland have run our economy and public services into the ground.
“The Scottish political establishment believes that taxes must only go up, benefits must keep rising, immigration is always good, free speech must be curtailed to avoid causing offence, and anyone can choose their gender regardless of the rights of others.
“Anyone with a bit of common sense can see that change is necessary.
“We would stop SNP ministers from directing the civil service to agitate for the break-up of Britain.
“If the SNP wants to waste its time and ring-fenced donations on this folly, that’s their right. But it’s not their right to do so with taxpayers’ money.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government continues to recognise the invaluable role local government plays as a crucial partner in the delivery of our shared priorities for the people of Scotland.
“Maintaining and strengthening this partnership remains a key priority to ensure we can work collaboratively to meet the needs of our local communities.”
The SNP Government has said it will be ending its series of white papers on independence, with one final document yet to be published.
