PENNY Mordaunt has claimed the support of Scottish Tories backing her bid to become the next prime minister – amid a toxic battle with Liz Truss to make it through to the two-way leadership contest.

The five remaining candidates vying to become prime minister have been gripped in a war of words with allies of Liz Truss forced to deny the campaign’s involvement in a “black ops” strategy against Ms Mordaunt.

Ms Mordaunt, the UK Trade Minister, has claimed that her “plan will deliver for Scotland” after citing a narrow Scottish Tory poll handing her overwhelming support.

Amongst dozens of Scottish Conservative members who took part, Ms Mordaunt has the backing of 34 per cent of activists, ahead of Kimi Badenoch on 15% with Rishi Sunak and Ms Truss tied on 14%.

The slim poll only used a weighted sample of 78 Scottish Tory voters as part of a YouGov study of 876 Conservative members across the UK.

Ms Mordaunt’s polling was mirrored across the UK, significantly the most popular with Conservative voters who will pick the leader out of the two remaining candidates.

The Portsmouth MP has suggested she has what it takes to break down the SNP’s ”yellow wall” and remove Nicola Sturgeon’s party from power in Scotland.

She said she would avoid any questions about holding another referendum on Scottish independence, claiming she was “against playing on the SNP’s turf”.

Ms Mordaunt also said the party should set the ambition to “beat the nationalists one day” using a “positive vision, unity of purpose and record of delivery”.

The two most prominent Scottish Tory MPs, Scottish Sectary Alister Jack and Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross, has declined to say publicly who they are backing in the leadership contest.

But Scottish Conservative MP John Lamont, who is backing Ms Mordaunt, said she would be a strong voice for the Union if she became prime minister.

He said that Ms Mordaunt has “clear plans to rebuild our economy” and a “clear focus on the cost-of-living crisis”.

Mr Lamont added: “She speaks to all parts of the United Kingdom, particularly in Scotland.

“I think she puts forward a very strong case for why Scotland should remain at the very heart of the United Kingdom.”

But Scottish Tory MP Andrew Bowie has come out in support of Mr Sunak to become the next PM, claiming the former chancellor will disregard Holyrood to push through key policies in devolved areas.

Writing in the Times, Mr Bowie said that Mr Sunak would continue the UK Government’s controversial levelling up agenda because “we cannot trust the SNP to act in the best interests of the Scottish people”.

In an apparent dig as Mr Sunak’s rivals, Mr Bowie said that the former chancellor offered more to Scottish voters than “easy platitudinous phrases that make us feel good about ourselves and our past” when talking about the Union.

Mr Bowie added that Mr Sunak "has led the pushback against the 'devolve and forget' mentality that permeates Whitehall”.

He added: “The easy, lazy approach to governing that says, ‘Scotland? Pass it to Holyrood’. "He knows that with their record in government, we cannot trust the Scottish National Party to act in the best interests of the Scottish people — only in the interests of the SNP."

But in response, Nicola Sturgeon said it was "good of the Tories to help make the case for independence".