Tory deputy says it would be great if party can win between six and 12 seats

The Scottish Conservative deputy leader said it would be “great” if his party could win between six and 12 Scottish seats in the general election.

Jackson Carlaw said there has been a “change in atmosphere” in Scottish politics as he insisted there are several seats where there is a “very strong prospect” of a Conservative victory.

If the Tories could win 12 Scottish constituencies on 8 June, that would be the party’s best result in a Westminster election in Scotland for more than three decades. 0 Jackson Carlaw: ‘Changed atmosphere in Scots politics’

The Tories were wiped out in Scotland 20 years ago, losing all their seats when Tony Blair swept to power. From 2001 onwards, they have had one Scottish MP. But a surge in support saw the party over- take Labour in the 2016 Holyrood elections, coming second with 31 MSPS.

Mr Carlaw, speaking on the Kaye Adams programme on BBC Radio Scotland, said: “Opinion pollsters are talking about somewhere between six and a dozen and it would be great if we could achieve that.

“I think there has been a considerable change since 2015 and 2016 in public opinion and therefore I think there is an appetite now to see a more robust opposition in Scotland.

“So I do think that in a number of seats across Scotland there is a very strong prospect of the Scottish Conservatives winning.”