SNP general election: Make Scotland ‘Tory-free’ by backing the SNP, says Humza Yousaf

The First Minister will make the appeal as his party launches its general election campaign

Humza Yousaf is to urge voters to make Scotland “Tory-free” as he said the SNP would aim to take all six Conservative-held seats at the coming general election.

The First Minister will make the appeal as he launches his party’s election campaign at an event in Glasgow on Friday. He will say the SNP is in second place in all six seats held by Tory MPs in Scotland.

Mr Yousaf will say: “Today I want to tell you how, together, we can get the best outcome for the country. The first step we take towards a brighter future must be to kick the Tories out.

Humza Yousaf. Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images

“Let’s be absolutely clear here: Rishi Sunak is finished. The Tories are done – thank goodness. The damage they have caused to Scotland is unforgivable and this year we must take the opportunity to kick them out of Scotland completely.

“The SNP is by far the best-placed party to do that. In every Tory-held seat in Scotland, we are the party in second place.

“Today I am setting an ambition for the SNP to wipe the Tories from Scotland’s electoral map by winning all six of those Tory seats. That is a big ask, but I don’t believe you go into elections unless you are willing to be ambitious.

“It’s also the case that in more than half of the SNP-held seats, it is the Tories who are in second place. So, to people right across the country, our message will be very clear – vote SNP for a Tory-free Scotland.”

Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: “The Scottish public are sick and tired of the independence-obsessed SNP ignoring their real priorities – such as the economy and Scotland’s ailing public services – and trying to turn the next election into a de-facto referendum on separation.

“Voters know that the only way to shift the focus onto the issues that matter to them – and shut the door on Humza Yousaf’s independence plan for good – is to unseat SNP MPs. And, as Humza Yousaf points out, in swathes of constituencies across the country, only the Scottish Conservatives can do that.”