Cameron tells Scottish Tories he will fight to keep kingdom united

Keeping the UK together is one of the “huge battles” faced by the Conservatives in the coming years, David Cameron said.

He pledged he will fight “every step of the way” to keep the country together.

With people in Scotland to vote in the independence referendum next year, Mr Cameron used his speech at the Scottish Conservatives party conference in Stirling to make the case for the Union.

He defended the coalition Government’s controversial welfare reforms, telling Tory activists they should be “proud that we’re the party making the bold case on welfare”.

With the UK spending review due later this month, the Prime Minister said there is “no turning back” with austerity.

The UK is not only stronger together but is also richer together, he said.

But the argument about the future has to be won “where it really counts”: in the heart as well as in the head.

“Let’s show that our case stacks up on paper.

“But let’s also make sure it resonates with people too. Win in the head, and win in the heart,” he told the conference.

The case for the Union is “not just about the cold, hard facts”.

The Prime Minister said: “It goes much, much deeper than that. This is about the future of our island. The next chapter in our story.”

There is “simply no challenge we face today where breaking up Britain is the right answer”.

Scotland should remain part of a “dynamic, enterprising, prosperous, compassionate Britain”.

The UK should be a “country where we are cutting our deficit, not arguing about how to divide it up” and where “we are fixing welfare, not doubling the problem by splitting up”.

We should be “pulling together, not pulling apart”, he said.

“Together we’re unbeatable. United we’re unstoppable. The case is unquestionable. Head, heart, body and soul, we will fight for our United Kingdom every step of the way.”

Mr Cameron began his address by telling Conservatives: “We’ve got some huge battles coming up, not just for our party but for our country; for Scotland, for Britain.”

With the independence referendum on September 18 next year, he said the focus in 2014 would be “saving our United Kingdom”.

The following year his party will be fighting to return the Tories to power at Westminster and give Britain the “Conservative Government she needs”.

To succeed the Tories must meet “vital challenges” including cutting the UK’s deficit and reforming the welfare system, according to Mr Cameron.

“It is only be meeting these challenges that we will win the fight for Scotland’s future, for Britain’s future.”