DOUGLAS Ross has likened himself to Alex Salmond as he insisted he could become the next First Minister.
The Scottish Tory leader suggested he had the same election winning skills as the former SNP leader in his heyday.
He admitted it would be a challenge to end the SNP’s hold on power at the 2026 Holyrood election, but said a lot could happen in four years.
In his speech to his party conference in Aberdeen, Mr Ross said a “silent majority” of voters unhappy with the current government was ready to “take Scotland back from the SNP”.
Speaking to the media afterwards, he denied his goal of becoming FM was “delusional”.
He said: “We're four years from the Scottish Parliament election.
“I doubt anyone genuinely believed in 2004 that Alex Salmond was going to become First Minister and the SNP would lead an administration three years hence.
“So there is a lot can change over that time.
“There is a staleness and stagnation in the SNP. You know, what new ideas have they come up with for education?
“What new ideas have they brought forward for our NHS? A recovery plan that was so flimsy that was pretty much dismissed as soon as it came out?
“I think we've got to be far more concentrated on what we can do. Yes, in the immediate term, but also years down the line, and that's what we're starting at our conference today.”
Mr Salmond, who quit the SNP leadership and Holyrood in 2001, returned to lead the party from Westminster in 2004, while Nicola Sturgeon deputised in Edinburgh.
He won the 2007 election by gaining 20 MSPs to win 47 to Labour’s 46, enabling him to form a minority administration.
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