Ruth spells out her battle plan
Tories target key seats and are confident of major gains
‘Organised and optimistic’
RUTH Davidson yesterday said she is confident the Tories will win more seats in Scotland – as pro-Union parties began forming a detailed plan to beat the SNP.
The Scottish Conservative leader declared that ‘peak Nat has passed’ and insisted her party can win seats ‘across the country’.
The Tories have identified four top target seats they believe they can win in June’s election – and at least five other constituencies where they think they are the most likely alternative to the SNP.
Labour and the Lib Dems are also preparing to run focused campaigns aimed at a small number of top targets.
The parties will not focus significant resources on seats where another pro-Union party is judged to be bestplaced to challenge the SNP.
Miss Davidson said: ‘We are organised and we are optimistic about the prospect of increasing our number of seats.
‘Only a vote for the Scottish Conservatives will ensure we get the strong leadership we need to get the best Brexit deal for the whole country. Only a vote for the Scottish Conservatives will send a strong message that we oppose the SNP’s divisive plan for a second referendum.’
Miss Davidson – informed by the Prime at 9.30am yesterday of her decision to call an election – went on: ‘On Jeremy Corbyn’s last visit to Scotland he said an immediate referendum on independence would be “absolutely fine”.
‘In the remote possibility he were to become Prime Minister at this election, it means Scotland would therefore be dragged back to a second referendum on Nicola Sturgeon’s say-so. This is a deeply irresponsible position for the leader of the opposition to take.
‘I am calling on Mr Corbyn and Kezia Dugdale to make it clear they support Theresa May in opposing the SNP’s rushed referendum timetable. It’s what Labour voters in Scotland want to hear.’
All parties began the process of drawing up candidate lists yesterday and are expected to release details next week. At a group meeting at Holyrood, Miss Davidson told her MSPs that she would not stand to become an MP, adding: ‘I want to be First Minister.’
In 2015 the SNP won 56 seats, while Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems won one each.
The SNP – which appealed to pro-Union voters by insisting it would not use votes to progress its case for independence – won 50 per cent of the overall vote, compared with 24.3 per cent for Labour, 14.9 per cent for the Tories and 7.5 per cent for the Lib Dems.
But the latest poll about voting intentions in Scotland – by Panelbase between March 13 and 17 – found 47 per cent would vote SNP, 28 per cent Tory, 14 per cent Labour and 4 per cent Lib Dem. This result could leave the SNP with 54 seats, the Tories four and the Lib Dems one, while Labour would lose its only seat.
Top Tory target seats include Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk; East Renfrewshire; Perth and North Perthshire; and West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine.
The Lib Dems will hope to secure Edinburgh West, East Dunbarton-
shire and North East Fife, while Labour will target Glasgow East, East Lothian, Edinburgh North and Leith, and Aberdeen South.
Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said: ‘Our optimistic agenda is pro-UK, pro-EU and progressive. We will stand proud for a United Kingdom in the European single market.’
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said: ‘The choice again will be clear: a Tory Party intent on a hard and damaging Brexit, or a Labour Party that will oppose a second independence referendum and fight for a better future for everybody.’
Former SNP leader Alex Salmond said: ‘This is blatant opportunism by the Prime Minister, who is looking to take advantage of the weakness of the Labour Party to legitimise her hard-Brexit agenda.’