Douglas Ross has appealed to supporters of the union to vote tactically to ditch “dud” First Minister Humza Yousaf.

The Scottish Conservative leader is due to address his party’s conference in Aberdeen this morning.

In his speech, he is expected to say that any pro-UK voter who wants to "kick the Nationalists out" will need to back his party.

Labour disagreed, with Dame Jackie Baillie calling the Tories a "gift for the SNP."

READ MORE: Rishi Sunak predicts Tories will gain MPs 'when it comes to Scotland'

Thanks to the defection of Lisa Cameron from the SNP, Mr Ross's party currently has seven MPs. Senior figures in the party are confident that they can keep hold of the seats they won in 2019, and possibly even gain a handful more.  

Speaking at a fringe event last night, Mr Ross said there would be a "very different election here in Scotland."

"There's a lot to be positive about in the Scottish Conservatives," he added. "We will be fighting to retain the seats we've got and win more. I think we can have a good night on election night." 

However, the polling is grim for them.

A recent survey of 1,043 people in Scotland by Survation put the SNP on 38%, Labour on 33% and the Scottish Tories on 15%, their lowest level since Liz Truss's time in office.

In his speech, Mr Ross will claim that Mr Yousaf’s “days in office are numbered,” suggesting that a bad general election result for the SNP will force him to resign.

“The knives are being sharpened, not just across the country but within his own party as well.

“Even the SNP are starting to realise that Humza Yousaf is a dud.”

Mr Ross will argue that if the “pro-UK majority” in key seats “unites and votes together”, then the Tories can “beat the Nationalists up and down Scotland”.

He will insist: “We can make sure it’s not only a bad night for the SNP, but a terrible night for Humza Yousaf.

“If we vote together in those crucial SNP-Scottish Conservative seats, it won’t be a campervan that Humza Yousaf needs, it will be a removal van.”

READ MORE: Douglas Ross: 'Nicola Sturgeon blanked me at Holyrood coffee kiosk'

Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said “Douglas Ross and his party are out of touch, out of ideas, and quickly running out of time.”

She added: “This Tory party is a disaster for working people and a gift for the SNP, delivering years of political turmoil and economic misery.

“The Tories and the SNP have worked hand-in-hand to stoke the politics of division in an attempt to distract from their own woeful record in government.”

An SNP Spokesperson said: “This latest spiel from Douglas Ross proves he’s as out of touch with reality as he is with the people of Scotland – who have not voted for a Tory government in his lifetime.

“Let’s not forget, Douglas Ross stayed silent while his Tory pals in Westminster drove the UK economy off a cliff, dished out dodgy PPE contracts to their pals and partied through lockdown, while the people of Scotland stayed home to save lives.

“This Tory UK government has been mired in corruption from the very beginning and, with latest polls showing a conservative wipe-out at the next General Election, it’s clear that Scotland is more than ready to boot the Tories out once and for all.

“Only a vote for the SNP will deliver a Tory-free Scotland, and put Scotland’s priorities first with independence.”