ROSS: BACK ME TO BEAT THE SNP

MP’s rallying cry for the Union as he confirms Tory leadership bid

Tory MP Douglas ross has pledged to be the ‘voice of the Union’ if he becomes the Scottish party’s next leader – and he has vowed to take the fight ‘directly’ to the SNP.

Mr ross said yesterday that he would be ‘unashamedly positive’ in building the case for keeping Scotland within the United Kingdom.

He insisted his party would no longer be ‘sitting back accepting blows’, with Nicola Sturgeon defining the narrative over separation.

The Moray MP confirmed he will stand to replace Jackson Carlaw as leader of the Scottish Conservative party – less than 24 hours after the MSP’s sensational resignation. Mr Carlaw stepped down amid growing concern

that he would lead the Tories to a catastrophic defeat at the Holyrood election next year – with growing pressure from within the party for him to go.

Mr Ross is favourite for the job and could be in place by Wednesday, with nominations set to close within days.

He said he is ‘confident’ he can lead the party to electoral victory – and that saving the Union will be a top priority.

Mr Ross said: ‘My message to voters will be this – if you want to build a better Scotland, if you want to beat the SNP, and if you want to put the divisions of the past few years behind us, the party I plan to lead is one you can unite behind, and one that can win.

‘I want to be the voice of the Union in Scotland. It’s taking the fight directly to the SNP, not just sitting back accepting blows and allowing the public to only hear the narrative as we have had in many cases since 2014 from those who support independence.’

He warned that the case for saving the Union will not be won ‘negatively’ but by winning the support of ‘people who believe in the Union by being positive about what the Union delivers for the people of Scotland’.

As well as fighting to form a ‘powerful devolved administration’ at Holyrood, Mr Ross said his party must push the message about the ‘strong broad shoulders of the United Kingdom in economically challenging times ’.

He said: ‘We have got to be unashamedly positive about the case for maintaining this most successful union the world has ever seen. Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland have achieved so much and we should unashamedly stand up for that.’

The campaign is likely to focus on economic help provided to Scotland during the Covid-19 pandemic, such as the job retention scheme used by more than 750,000 Scottish workers.

Within minutes of Mr Carlaw’s departure, Mr Ross was touted as the new leader – with ex-leader Ruth Davidson pledging her support.

Mr Ross left the Scottish parliament after winning the Moray seat at Westminster when he ousted former SNP deputy leader Angus Robertson at the snap election in 2017.

If successful in the leadership race, Mr Ross would continue to sit as MP for Moray, but would also seek election to Holyrood on the Highland and Islands regional list in 2021. Miss Davidson would fill in for him at Holyrood until she steps down as an MSP in March.

According to colleagues, Mr Ross is seen as a ‘fearless’ leader who will not be afraid to take on Miss Sturgeon – but will also be willing to disagree with the Prime Minister if he feels it is the best decision for Scotland and the Union.

Mr Ross quit as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland after Tory adviser Dominic Cummings broke lockdown restrictions.

Mr Ross resigned in protest, stating that Mr Cummings’s explanation and view of guidance was ‘not shared by the vast majority of people’.

According to sources, Mr Johnson pleaded with Mr Ross to remain in post but he refused to do so, earning the ‘respect’ of the Prime Minister.

And yesterday he vowed to continue making the decisions he believes are ‘right’ for Scotland and the Union, even if they are not favourable to some.

Mr Ross said: ‘You have to be willing to put your head above the parapet. It wasn’t an easy decision for me politically to resign from the Government.’

He said part of the fight to save the Union will involve standing up to the SNP. Mr Ross said: ‘We need politicians to stand up and say they are wrong, here is the alternative and it’s a positive alternative – Scotland as part of a strong United Kingdom.’