Douglas Ross has branded Nicola Sturgeon "absolutely ridiculous" for snubbing parts of the media at the SNP's council election campaign launch.
The Scottish Conservative leader - who is still self-isolating after testing positive for coronavirus - took aim at the First Minister for not fronting up to journalists while on a visit in the southside of Glasgow.
Broadcast journalists were invited along to the launch in Govanhill - but newspapers like the Record were excluded from the invite.
Ross, who spoke to the media via Zoom from his home in Moray, added that the SNP leader "doesn't like scrutiny".
He said: "This isn't new from Nicola Sturgeon, and this isn't new from the SNP.
"It is absolutely ridiculous to suggest that they couldn't use a venue big enough to take the media to launch their local government campaign.
"It suggests they have nothing new to say, this is a tired government that doesn't have any new ideas and it is quite clear the First Minister doesn't like scrutiny on either her record or her plans for Scotland."
Ross was asked why Boris Johnson doesn't include some journalists in his media rounds.
He replied: "Nicola Sturgeon is very keen to criticise the Prime Minister if that happens but it seems they take exception when they are criticised for something similar.
"It seems ultra hypocritical for the SNP to say that is unacceptable for the Prime Minister to do it yet it seems they do exactly the same.
"This is not a one off, this is a pattern now.
"We are in an election campaign where the public deserve to hear from all the political parties and if the First Minister is not confident on her record and on her plans in this election then I think it tells the Scottish people a lot about her vision and ambition for Scotland."
Earlier in the day Sturgeon hit back at some of the criticism by saying it was "nonsense" that she doesn't front up to journalists.
She said: "It's nonsense. I'm standing here answering questions. I've just done two lengthy BBC interviews. I will go out there and talk to journalists outside.
"The only point we made today was that this was a campaign visit. Our manifesto launch will be next week.
"People can see this is an enclosed space. There wasn't space to have large numbers in here.
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here.
