Douglas Ross has claimed Scottish Labour "cannot be trusted" when it comes to the Union as he launched his party's council elections manifesto today.
The Scottish Conservatives leader is trying to regain the initiative after facing a barrage of criticism from his political opponents over his support for Boris Johnson.
Ross has insisted the Prime Minister should remain in Downing Street after he was this week fined by police - despite previously calling for him to resign over PartyGate.
Scottish Labour depute leader Jackie Baillie last night said: "No right-thinking person who is concerned with the rule of law and the state of the Union can now stand with this Prime Minister and his fair-weather friend Douglas Ross."
The Tory MP today hit back and used a speech at a Glasgow hotel to claim: "Right across Scotland, Labour will fail unionist voters".
Ross pointed to previous coalition deals between the SNP and Labour on local authorities, including Edinburgh and West Lothian.
But Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar this week both ruled out any future deals between the two parties.
Ross said: "They say they oppose independence but then stand dozens of nationalist candidates.
"They say that they have moved on from Corbyn but many of their candidates still describe themselves as his supporters.
"Now Anas Sarwar says there won’t be any deals with the SNP but has also said that the decision won’t be up to him, that it will be for his party’s Executive Committee.
"The same Executive Committee who approved SNP-Labour deals in 2017 and threw out Labour councillors in Aberdeen for daring to work with the Scottish Conservatives to build an anti-nationalist alliance."
Asked by the Record if Boris Johnson was the biggest threat to the Union, Ross said: "On the constitution - look at the Labour party's record on that.
"They are fielding candidates in this election who support another independence referendum. They are fielding candidates who have said they will ignore what the party leadership says.
"Regardless of what Anas Sarwar says, we know, the day after the election, they will enter into backroom deals all over again.
"They cannot be trusted - they will be betray Unionist voters as they have over the last five years".
Ross was earlier heckled by notorious anti-austerity campaigner Sean Clerkin.
Baillie said: "The civil war in the Tory party is getting more serious – with MSPs now breaking ranks with Douglas Ross and calling on the Prime Minister to go.
"With party grandees such as Ruth Davidson and serving MSPs such as Brian Whittle now calling for the Prime Minister to go, it is clear that Douglas Ross has got it wrong and has lost control of his party.
"No right-thinking person who is concerned with the rule of law and the state of the Union can now stand with this Prime Minister and his fair-weather friend Douglas Ross.
"The Scottish Tory party is now collapsing before our very eyes – only Scottish Labour can build the alternative to the SNP and bring Scotland together again."
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