ANAS Sarwar has been asked to back the campaign to beat Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross in a constituency where Labour are not standing a candidate.
Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s Westminster leader, has written to the Scottish Labour chief asking him to support the SNP’s Seamus Logan’s campaign against Ross in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.
Labour suspended Andy Brown, who was standing for them in the constituency, after posts shared online appeared to downplay Russia’s role in the Salisbury poisonings. As such, Keir Starmer’s party does not have an official candidate standing against Ross.
Flynn said: “Of all the Tories who have shamed Scotland over the last five years of this UK Government, Douglas Ross has been the worst of all.
“He has backed every disastrous Tory prime minister and every policy which has caused so much misery across Scotland. Now he has topped it off by shamefully forcing out a colleague who was in a hospital bed in order to impose himself as the candidate in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.
“At this election we have the chance to give him the electoral defeat that he deserves – but that will need everyone who wants to see the Tories beaten to unite behind the SNP.
“With Labour not fielding a candidate in this crucial seat, I am calling on Anas Sarwar to make clear to his supporters and members locally that he backs a vote for the SNP to defeat Douglas Ross.”
Ross had pledged not to stand for Westminster in the 2024 General Election in order to focus on his role at Holyrood.
However, after local Conservatives picked David Duguid to stand in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, the party’s management board stepped in to remove him – and Ross announced he would stand in Duguid’s place.
Calling on Sarwar to back the campaign against Ross, Flynn said it would cost “nothing” to do so, adding: “If he refuses, it will lead to real questions about whether Labour would prefer to see their former Better Together allies winning seats over the SNP.
“Douglas Ross has already been forced into resigning as leader of the Tories. If he isn’t good enough for the Tories, he certainly isn’t good enough for the people of the North East of Scotland.
“On Thursday, we have a chance to get rid of every Tory MP in Scotland by voting for the SNP to ensure Scotland's interests are always put first.”
Scottish Labour have been asked for comment.
You can read Stephen Flynn’s letter to Anas Sarwar here:
Dear Anas,
At this election, you have said that the most important issue is to remove the Tory government. That is an ambition which I and the SNP share. Indeed, in every Tory-held seat in Scotland, the SNP is the main challenger – by voting SNP we can ensure that there is not a single Tory MP left in Scotland.
In the vast majority of these Tory held seats, I fully understand that you will, regardless of the electoral facts, urge people to vote for your party.
However, in one of these seats, Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, your party is not fielding a candidate. I am therefore calling on you to back an SNP vote in this constituency, and for you to request that your supporters, and local party members, back the SNP candidate to ensure that we defeat the Tories in this crucial seat.
This seat is particularly totemic, given that it is the seat that Douglas Ross has shamefully forced himself into as a candidate. Already forced into announcing his resignation as Scottish Tory leader, I am sure that you will agree with me that it is unthinkable that he could continue representing Scotland at Westminster On July 4, we have the chance to defeat Douglas Ross in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East – but this will require each of us who wants to defeat the Tories to get behind the SNP.
I hope that you will confirm today that you will back an SNP vote in this constituency to give Douglas Ross the electoral defeat that he deserves.
I look forward to your response.
Yours for Scotland,
Stephen Flynn
