Scottish Election 2021: Ross reveals he's keeping Cabinet abreast of 'threat of nationalism'

Douglas Ross is in regular contact with the UK government Cabinet about the Holyrood election campaign and the “threat of nationalist division” in the light of the launch of Alex Salmond’s new party, the Scottish Conservative leader has revealed.

He admitted the plans by Alex Salmond for a pro-independence “supermajority” and the pledge by Nicola Sturgeon to hold a second independence referendum during Scotland’s recovery from the Covid pandemic were being discussed by the UK government.

Asked if there were “just four weeks to save the union”, he dismissed the idea as “melodramatic”, but added he had been in regular contact with the Cabinet about the election campaign and had discussed the Alba Party “and what that would mean”.

“Clearly different polls are saying different things, one saying he [Alex Salmond] would be elected, one saying they would get no MSPs but we have to understand the threat – they’re a pro-nationalist party who want to separate Scotland from the rest of the UK,” he said.

Douglas Ross, Scottish Conservative leader.

“Everything we’ve heard from Alex Salmond has been about tactics which don’t sit comfortably with people across Scotland – the first day of the Parliament should be dedicated looking at how to get another independence referendum or not even having one and just going ahead and trying to separate Scotland from the rest of the UK… it reminds people the nationalists, being Nicola Sturgeon or Alex Salmond, are 100 per cent focused on a referendum.

"The Prime Minister has been very clear that as we come through the health pandemic and fight this virus on a health basis we also have an economic crisis to deal with, and we can’t do that with an independence referendum hanging over us.”

Asked if his party was in “meltdown” as had been alleged by George Galloway of All For Unity, about the launch of smaller pro-union parties, Mr Ross said it was the “nationalist parties who benefited”.

“It’s very clear that they are not going to benefit the case for Scotland remaining in the UK, they would take away strong opposition rather than damage the nationalist cause,” he said.

“In terms of having a meltdown, Mr Galloway should be more concerned about his own party and poll ratings than he is about other parties who are serious about stopping the nationalist threat from the SNP and Alex Salmond’s Alba Party.”

He added: “The future of the country is at stake. The SNP wants to take us into another referendum which Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed means during the recovery.

"They’ve set aside party funds to fight that referendum, they’ve got plans to hold one with or without a Section 30 Order, so yes there’s a huge threat and that’s why people have to completely understand that a vote for any nationalist party is a vote for division.”

He was speaking after the latest poll suggested his party would lose six seats after dropping to 20 per cent in the constituency vote and to 21 per cent in the regional list. Meanwhile, although the same poll put Labour on just 19 seats, the party was gaining on the list.

However he said he would not support Anas Sarwar to be First Minister should pro-independence parties not reach a majority and Labour was second in terms of seats after the May election.

He said his previous offer of a pro-union alliance with Labour and the Scottish Liberal Democrats had been “rebuffed” by Mr Sarwar and Willie Rennie and was no longer an option.

"In terms of who I would vote for as First Minister – one of the key pledges in our unionist manifesto was a commitment to work together to have a pro-UK coalition in Holyrood,” he said. “I was willing to sign up to that and pledge to work with other parties, so it’s more a question to them if they would do the same to get rid of this tired SNP government.”

Mr Ross was speaking after he outlined plans to recruit 3,000 more teachers over the next five years as part of a "rebuilding roadmap". The party, he said, has a three-phase plan to protect jobs and boost the economy as Scotland recovers from coronavirus.

The roadmap includes an emergency Enterprise Bill by the end of the summer, which would establish an economic development agency in each region of Scotland, followed by job security councils for sectors like oil and gas, providing re-skilling opportunities.

It also calls for a push for internal tourism from elsewhere in the UK, making "Scotland the destination of choice for the rest of the UK".

The Tories have also pledged to recruit 3,000 more teachers over the next term of the Scottish Parliament if elected, committed to a rollout of full-fibre broadband by 2027 at a cost of £2 billion, and the "biggest social housebuilding drive since devolution".

He said the policies in the roadmap would cost around £4.55 billion over the next term of the Scottish Parliament, which would be met through a mixture of Barnett consequentials, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and unallocated capital spending.

Alba candidate for the West of Scotland Cllr Chris McEleny said: “Douglas Ross says the polls are saying different things about the extent of the Alba breakthrough. That is true. What all polls are agreed upon is the sinking ship of Conservatism under his bizarre leadership.“Alba has been in existence for less than two weeks. However we have our eyes firmly fixed on overtaking the Tories in membership by the end of the campaign. The Tories see Alba as the threat. More and more Scots will see Alba as an opportunity to register a regional list vote which will inject urgency and direction into the independence campaign”.

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