'Obsession': Scottish Tories mocked as manifesto has more SNP mentions than pages

THE Scottish Tories have been mocked for having an “obsession with the SNP” after their manifesto mentioned the party more than once per page.

Overall, the Scottish Conservative manifesto – which outgoing leader Douglas Ross launched alongside Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Edinburgh on Monday – mentions the SNP directly 88 times across its 76 pages.

Ross, who will step down as Scottish Conservative group leader after the General Election, mentioned the SNP 12 times in his foreword alone.

Labour, the Conservatives’ main contender on the UK-wide stage, is mentioned in the Tories’ Scottish manifesto 19 times.

The SNP 2024 manifesto mentions the Conservatives (including the words “Tory” and “Tories”) a total of 15 times across 32 pages, while Labour are mentioned eight times.

The Scottish Labour manifesto mentions the SNP 40 times and the Tories 54 times in 139 pages – and the Scottish LibDem manifesto mentions the SNP 21 times and the Conservatives 51 times in 100 pages.

Richard Thomson, the SNP’s candidate for Gordon and Buchan, said the figures showed that “after 14 years of disaster after disaster from Westminster, it’s clear the Tories’ obsession with the SNP is all they have left”.

Richard Thomson was the SNP MP for Gordon until parliament was dissolved

He went on: “The Tory manifesto mentioned the SNP 88 times in 76 pages. They are rattled because they know a well deserved democratic drubbing is on its way and, here in Scotland, a vote for the SNP is the best way to get rid of every single Tory MP.

“But people in Scotland who’ve been made to endure the worst of austerity, Brexit, and the cost of living crisis, need more than just an escape from Tory politicians, they need an escape from Tory policy.

“In this election it isn’t just the Tories arguing for more austerity, a continuation of Brexit, and denial of Scotland’s democratic rights – it’s the Labour Party under Sir Keir Starmer.

“Scotland deserves better than more of the same from parties whose priority lies with propping up the failing Westminster status quo. For a future made in Scotland, for Scotland, vote SNP on July 4.”

At the Scottish Tory manifesto launch, Sunak also took aim at the SNP, claiming that a vote for his party would force the issue of independence to be put “to bed”.

Sunak said: “If the SNP win the majority of seats at this election, they will treat that as a mandate to carry on campaigning for independence for another five years …

“A vote for the Scottish Conservatives is a vote to put this issue to bed, to move past these tired and stale arguments and to go forward united and together.”