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 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.
Mr Ross 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.
READ MORE: Douglas Ross denies Ruth Davidson campaign material is misleading
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.
READ MORE: Douglas Ross attacks 'flag-waving ultra-nationalists'
"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 Lib Dems’ 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.
Addressing potentially calling on Tory voters to back Mr Sarwar in an attempt to oust the First Minister from her seat, Mr Ross said many will “not be convinced that he is the strongest pro-UK voice”.
Tactical Voting Guide for the 2021 Scottish Parliament Elections.
— Scotland in Union (@scotlandinunion) April 15, 2021
Enter your postcode in the link below to find the most effective way to use your vote: https://t.co/s9fxIwQxtV pic.twitter.com/ETeitKT2W2
He added: “He is not ruling out an independence referendum beyond this parliament.
“The certainty they get from Scottish Conservative candidates in every part of the country is a commitment to be against and oppose another independence referendum and absolutely fight at this election to stop an SNP majority and to stop them dominating our recovery phase with talk of another damaging, divisive referendum.”
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.”
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