The Scottish Lib Dems have written to “moderate Conservative and former Conservative voters across the country”, urging them to abandon Russell Findlay’s party at May’s election.
The letter, from Jamie Greene, who defected last year, follows a speech by Kemi Badenoch in which she said Tories who have qualms about the direction of the party “need to get out of the way”.
Mr Greene told voters who were previously canvassed as having voted for the Tories: “If Kemi doesn’t want you, come join me in a better place.”
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The Holyrood Tories have lost a number of politicians in recent months.
As well as Mr Greene, Jeremy Balfour has left the Tory benches to stand as an independent, while Graham Simpson defected to Reform.
The cheeky approach comes as a new poll suggested the Lib Dems were set to leap ahead of the Tories at May's election.
The More in Common survey had the SNP on 35%, a fall of 13 points since 2021 but still enough to give it a commanding 16-point lead over Reform UK on 19%.
Labour follows close behind on 18%, down four points, while the Conservatives have slumped to 11%, an 11-point drop. The Lib Dems are on 10%, up three points, with the Greens on 5%.
On the list, the SNP is on 25% and Reform on 20%. Labour sits on 19%, the Lib Dems on 13%, the Tories on 12% and the Greens on 9%.
According to analysis by Professor Sir John Curtice, that would give the SNP 59 seats, Reform and Labour 19, the Lib Dems 13, the Tories 11 and the Greens eight.
Last month, Ms Badenoch said in her speech that she was relaxed if her move right meant centrists wanted to leave.
She said: “I was elected by Conservative Party members to renew and rebuild. That is exactly what I am doing.
“But we’re not just renewing with policy. We are also renewing standards, conduct, discipline and culture. And the people who don’t agree with this direction need to get out of the way. There are people in politics who don’t really know what they are doing, or why.
“They just want to be in the room. They want to be on top. They want access, attention and advancement. And when they don’t get their way, they create drama.
“What we need are people who are going to help Get Britain Working Again. That means we have to be a truly Conservative party.
“So I won’t apologise to those walking away because they don’t like the new direction. We only want Conservatives.”
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In his letter, Mr Greene said: “I have been contacted by so many current Tory members and voters who are appalled by their direction of travel. What started as a gradual lurch to the right-wing fringes is now a direct instruction to get out of Kemi’s way if you are moderate, decent or sensible.
“The reality is that political parties who only want the support of hardcore true believers wither and die. You have to try and bring people together, don’t you?
"I do not blame you if you feel dejected and in despair about the state of the Conservative Party, but I also want to offer you some hope.
“So I make an appeal to you,” he added. “If Kemi doesn’t want you, come join me in a better place.”
Responding to the letter, a Tory spokesperson said: “As a cheerleader for Nicola Sturgeon’s discredited gender policies, Jamie Greene is at home with the Lib Dems.
“But we’d like to thank him for reminding voters that the Scottish Conservatives are the only party promising to tackle the SNP’s unfair, unaffordable and unsustainable benefits system.”
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