Ross ‘playing games’ with Union supporters over tactical voting
DOUGLAS Ross has been accused of “playing games” with unionist voters in order to shore up support for the Conservatives.
The Scottish Tory leader has also denied that voters are being misled after outgoing former Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has been placed front and centre on election material.
Mr Ross has appealed to voters in favour of Scotland remaining part of the UK to back his party on the regional list ballot at May’s election.
He had attempted to bring forward a unionist pact with Scottish Labour and the Scottish Liberal Democrats in a strategy to stop the SNP securing a Holyrood majority – which he said “never really got off the ground”.
A tactical voting platform launched by campaign group Scotland in Union calls on unionist voters to back the strongest pro-uk party on the constituency ballot.
The Scottish Tory leader was asked if he would back unionist voters backing other pro-uk parties in constituency seats where the Conservatives are not the main challenger to the SNP.
He told The Herald: “In many constituencies, if you look at the
2016 election results and you look at what happened in the 2017
General Election and the 2019
General Election, in most parts of Scotland, the strongest challenger to the SNP is the Scottish Conservatives.
“We’ve got more constituency seats in Holyrood than any of the other opposition parties and we are the main challenger to the SNP right across the country.
“People should vote for the strongest pro-uk party and a Labour Party that has lost votes and seats at every Scottish election since devolution since 1999 is not the strongest pro-uk party.
“The Liberal Democrats, who currently trail behind the Scottish Greens in terms of representation, are not the strongest pro-uk party.
“People should give their vote to the strongest pro-uk party which is the Scottish Conservatives.”
The Scotland in Union tactical voting campaign calls on unionists to back the Libdems’ Alex Cole-hamilton to help him retain his Edinburgh Western seat and picks Labour leader Anas Sarwar as the best candidate to take on Nicola Sturgeon in Glasgow Southside.
But Mr Cole-hamilton has accused Mr Ross of playing games to dupe unionist voters into backing the Tories.
He said: “I think Douglas Ross is in trouble – he’s not Ruth Davidson.
“We see people moving away from the Conservative Party. It is no longer this broad church that people saw it under Ruth Davidson. He is clearly playing games to shore up his core vote. “I want people to tactically vote in my seat but I want people to vote for the Liberal Democrats all across the country. We are putting recovery first.”
Ms Davidson, who is not seeking re-election for her Edinburgh Central seat next month, has been given a leading profile on election leaflets and a television advert, despite not standing.
The former Scottish Tory leader, who has quit Holyrood to take up a place in the House of Lords, yesterday joined the current leader on the campaign trail in Edinburgh.
Mr Ross ruled out Ms Davidson playing any role in the Scottish Conservatives’ strategy or decisionmaking after the election.
Asked about any future role, he said: “No, certainly not at Holyrood.”
Mr Ross said he was “looking forward to having Ruth out on the campaign trail” with him, adding that “she is a strong voice for Scotland’s place in the United Kingdom”.
He added: “She is determined to see the success we had in 2016 continue into this election in 2021.”
Meanwhile, Ms Davidson has said she would support the House of Lords being transformed into an elected chamber.
Speaking to the Edinburgh Evening News, she insisted she would only be attending Westminster a couple of days a week and has put an end to any suggestion she could become a UK Government minister once she takes up her seat.
She said: “What people don’t really understand about the House of Lords is if you look at the last five years, the number of sitting days only averages about 100 and backbenchers aren’t expected to go to all of them.
“I’m not looking for, nor would I accept, a role that takes me away from my family when they’re just young.”
I think Douglas Ross is in trouble – he’s not Ruth Davidson