No break-up plan for Tory party

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/6557343.stm

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The Conservative Party's UK leader David Cameron said he has no plans to hive off the party in Scotland.

However, he said that if the Tories north of the Border wanted to change their name that would be "up to them".

His views were aired in an interview with Andrew Marr on BBC One's Sunday AM programme.

Mr Cameron, who is supporting the Tory election campaign in Scotland, said: "The Scottish Conservatives are a Scottish party."

He added; "They [the Scottish Tories] elect their own leader, they write their own policies, they are responsible for their own manifesto.

"It is devolution at work.

I want to keep Scotland and England together, but if the result [of an independence referendum] went the wrong way, from my point of view, then I would have to honour that David CameronConservative Party leader

"They are able to come up with the right policies for Scotland, that's not always the same policies as in England, but that is right , and that should be emphasised, and that is important.

When questioned about a name change for the party in Scotland, Mr Cameron said he would not object, but it would have to come from his colleagues north of the Border.

He added that the Scottish Tories were "running under the banner" of being Scottish Conservatives and it was vital they emphasised that they were a party for Scotland.

On the issue of an independence referendum, Mr Cameron said he would actively campaign for a no vote.

He said: "I want to keep Scotland and England together, but if the result went the wrong way, from my point of view, then I would have to honour that because that is the only way to be open and honest with the people of Scotland, but I desperately hope it doesn't happen."

Annabel Goldie is the leader of the Scottish Conservative Party. Her party won 18 seats at Holyrood in 2003.