Humza Yousaf could lead Scotland into “disaster”, Douglas Ross warned as he set the Tories the task of winning back voters who had been “forgotten” by the SNP.

The Scottish Conservative leader claimed the First Minister was only interested in the Central Belt and was leaving behind voters in other areas and those who did not support independence.

He also highlighted plans for a Local Policing Act and the recruitment of 1,000 extra officers.

Speaking at a fringe event at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, he took aim at Mr Yousaf’s record and his partnership with the “extremist” Scottish Greens.

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“Humza Yousaf is a danger to Scotland,” Mr Ross said, warning “he could drive Scotland to disaster if we’re not careful”.

“We call him useless – but actually he’s reckless. He’s certainly more reckless than Nicola Sturgeon.

“On independence, he is more rash, irresponsible and hasty than even Nicola Sturgeon was at her worst.

“He is prepared to push harder and more aggressively than she did for independence.

“He has said it himself – in next year’s general election – even if he loses a bunch of his MPs but manages to squeak a majority by a single seat, no matter his share of the vote, he will declare independence.

“Even Nicola Sturgeon would have dismissed that plan as too far.”

Mr Ross warned that “unless we stop him by defeating the SNP in seats across Scotland, who knows how dangerous Humza Yousaf could be for Scotland's future?”

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He added: “In their desperate drive to create a majority for independence in the Scottish Parliament, the SNP have pushed a majority of the public away.

“As we look ahead to next year’s general election, we need to send a strong signal to the SNP Government to abandon their independence obsession.”

He called on the Scottish Government to “abandon their alliance with the extreme Greens” and “focus on the real priorities of forgotten Scotland”.

The Scottish Tory leader claimed “there are millions of people right across our country who feel abandoned by this SNP Government”.

He added that many “feel that they have been pushed down the priority list and that key promises have been broken” and “feel their communities are not receiving the investment and opportunities they deserve”.

Mr Ross stressed people “feel detached from the values that the SNP Government say are representative of modern Scotland”.

He claimed Mr Yousaf, who represents Glasgow Pollok and lives in the Dundee area, “only thinks of his own backyard” and does nothing for the rest of Scotland.

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SNP MSP Rona Mackay said: “The SNP has a strong track record in delivering for communities right across Scotland – from rolling out game-changing family and child benefits, to overseeing record staffing in our NHS, and supporting our farmers, crofters and agriculture sector.

“In contrast, the Tories at Westminster have ignored Scotland’s interests for decades; dragging us out of the EU against our will, short-changing the Scottish Government at every turn, and attempting a power grab on our Scottish Parliament by bypassing devolution.

“With independence, Scotland will get the governments we vote for – and we will not be forced to pay the price of Tory economic mismanagement and incompetence.”