A CONSERVATIVE candidate has been accused of likening Ed Miliband and Nicola Sturgeon to Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad.
Ruth Davidson faced calls to apologise after George Jabbour, the Tory candidate for Inverclyde launched an outspoken attack on Labour and the SNP in a speech to the party conference in Edinburgh.
Mr Jabbour, who was born in Syria, and became a British citizen just over three years ago, said: "You don't need a masters in finance to realise that the polices of Labour and the SNP don't add up "I worked in banking and I advised governments on their finances. I worked with countries such as Greece, Portugal and Spain.
"I saw how when governments lose control of their finances the IMF intervenes and imposes severe, abrupt cuts to their health services, education and other public services, affecting the most vulnerable people in their society.
"Thanks to the difficult decisions made by this Conservative led government such dramatic measures were not needed in Britain.
"In contrast Ed Miliband and Nicola Sturgeon have a socialist ideology not very different from the one I had left behind in Syria."
An SNP spokesman said: "This absurd and offensive comment about the SNP and Labour shows that the Tories continue to be the nasty party - Ruth Davidson must immediately apologise for these remarks."
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