Humza Yousaf’s comments about making Scotland “Tory free” are treating voters with “open contempt”, his opponent Douglas Ross has said.
The Scottish Conservative leader responded to remarks made by the SNP leader at a meeting of activists in Perth at the weekend.
The SNP’s longest-serving MP Pete Wishart said he would not use the “Tory free” message in the upcoming general election campaign.
At the start of the year, Mr Yousaf said the upcoming election is the chance to make Scotland Tory free and, addressing the SNP’s campaign council on Saturday, he used the phrase “Tory free” multiple times.
Mr Ross said: “These insulting comments demonstrate the SNP’s open contempt for the almost 700,000 Scots who voted Scottish Conservative at the last election.
“Humza Yousaf’s divisive rhetoric shows why we are asking pro-UK voters to vote together for the Scottish Conservatives. If we unite once more, we can beat the SNP and end their campaign to divide Scotland for good.
“The one thing Humza Yousaf is correct about is that in many seats up and down Scotland, the election will be a straight fight between the SNP and the Scottish Conservatives. He should suffer at the ballot box for pushing such divisive language.
“We are calling for voters in those constituencies who are sick and tired of Humza Yousaf spreading division to back the local Scottish Conservative candidate so we can defeat the SNP and get the focus back on Scotland’s real priorities, such as fixing our public services.”
Ahead of an expected Westminster vote in the latter part of this year, the SNP has set its sights on wiping out the Conservatives in Scotland, aiming to win all seven of the seats they currently hold north of the border.
Polling analysts have said the SNP faces a challenge from Labour north of the border and in October the pro-independence party lost a by-election race in Rutherglen and Hamilton West.
At the last general election, the SNP won 48 out of 59 Scottish seats.
Earlier on Monday, the SNP’s independence minister Jamie Hepburn defended his party leader’s remarks as “clear and straightforward”.
Asked on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland radio programme whether the rhetoric is unravelling, he said: “I don’t think so, I think it’s a very clear and straightforward message.”
Mr Hepburn said: “It’s time for them to go and I think it’s a very clear and straightforward message.
“We know that in most seats the battle is a direct one between the SNP and the Tories, people want the Tories to go, we have the chance to get rid of Tory MPs in Scotland and make Scotland Tory free, and the way to do that is by voting SNP.”
He added: “I think if we look at the opinion polls, people are already coming to the conclusion that the Tories’ time is up and if people want to get rid of the Tories, as seems to be the case from the opinion polls, and that’s certainly that’s the sense I get on the doorsteps, then it is a very straightforward proposition.”
On Sunday, Mr Wishart – the party’s Perth and North Perthshire MP since 2001 – said he would not be using the Tory free messaging.
“Much as I will be doing everything possible to ensure that the Tories are kept out of Perth and Kinross-shire I won’t be using this ‘Tory free’ rhetoric as part of my campaign,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.
However, the Scottish Tories pointed out Mr Wishart had already used the phrase in a post on X just over a week ago.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel