A favourite to become the next Tory leader has promised to overturn the SNP’s electoral dominance by breaking down their “yellow wall”.
Penny Mordaunt also claimed the Scottish Conservatives could win power at Holyrood if she succeeded Boris Johnson.
Eleven candidates are in the running to become the next Tory leader and prime minister, with Home Secretary Priti Patel also mulling over a bid.
READ MORE: Tory leadership candidates to refuse Scottish independence referendum for next 10 years
Nominations close today and party MPs will whittle down a long list of contenders to two people, with the final choice picked by Tory members.
Mordaunt, trade minister in the UK Government, has a long list of backers and bookmaker’s William Hill has offered odds of 4/5 on her to win.
Despite the Tories never holding power at Holyrood, Mordaunt believes the Scottish Conservative can replace the SNP.
Writing in the Scottish Daily Mail, she claimed: “In this leadership contest, you will not only hear me talk of winning power across our United Kingdom. You will also hear me talk of winning power in Scotland, as difficult as it will be to achieve.
“We must set our sights that high. We are the only party that has ever shown the strength to stand up to the SNP.
“It will be a long road to get there but we must aspire to unite the pro-UK majority and form the Scottish Government. We must be a party that seeks power everywhere in our United Kingdom.”
Mordaunt added: “Rising tide lifts all boats and, if we unite behind a positive vision across our United Kingdom, we can aim higher in Scotland too. So my focus is not just on the Red Wall, it's on starting to break the SNP's Yellow Wall.”
On indyref2, which the Tories opposed, she refused to set a timescale for when another referendum could be acceptable:
“I won't play Nicola Sturgeon's games. When asked about a referendum, you'll hear me answer instead about people's real priorities, such as how we can put more of your hard earned money back in your pocket. I am firmly against playing on the SNP's turf.
“Another divisive referendum at this time is the wrong priority and I won't be afraid to say so, firmly, to Nicola Sturgeon, just as I have in the House of Commons to Ian Blackford.”
Other candidates, such as Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt, have said they would not consider a referendum for at least ten years.
Frontrunner Rishi Sunak, who quit as Johnson’s chancellor last week, will today unveil his policy platform.
He has cautioned against early tax cuts and stressed the importance of taming sky-high inflation.
SNP MP Mhairi Black said: "Beyond the rhetoric, Penny Mordaunt - along with her fellow Tory leadership candidates - offer nothing but a continuation of deeply damaging Tory policies that have punished households and businesses across Scotland.
"From backing an extreme Brexit, austerity cuts and callous policies, it's becoming clear from very early on in this Tory leadership contest that Mordaunt and her colleagues are desperate to outflank each other on the right.
"The fact is that whoever replaces Boris Johnson Scotland will still be saddled with a Tory government we didn't vote for imposing Brexit, austerity cuts and harmful policies against our will."
READ NEXT:
How the Tory party leadership contest works as Boris Johnson resigns
Labour to force no confidence vote in Boris Johnson if Tories don't axe him immediately
Penny Mordaunt launches bid as nine candidates now confirmed in Tory leadership race
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here.
