Findlay to ‘throw the kitchen sink’ at stopping SNP majority

Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay has pledged to “throw the kitchen sink” at stopping an SNP majority.

The party launched its election campaign on Thursday in Edinburgh, as polls suggest they could drop to fourth at Holyrood.

Mr Findlay appears to have set stopping SNP leader John Swinney from governing a majority administration in Edinburgh as his target.

“It’s a simple choice,” he said. “It’s the potential of the nightmare scenario of an SNP majority.

“John Swinney already thinks he’s got this in the bag, or you can vote Scottish Conservative on the peach ballot paper to stop him.

“We stand up for the common-sense people of Scotland, we stand up for people who work hard and do the right thing.

“We can stop the SNP.”

Addressing candidates and party activists, Mr Findlay added: “Over the next 42 days, trust me when I say I am going to throw the kitchen sink at it – I’m going to work tirelessly, and I know that each and every one of you is too.”

Branding First Minister Mr Swinney “arrogant”, Mr Findlay said his party will be “talking loudly and proudly” about their record to voters over the next six weeks.

“Our party, the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, have been the only party at Holyrood who have consistently and robustly stood up to the SNP.”

He also took aim at Reform UK, saying the party’s sole MSP Graham Simpson – who defected from the Conservatives last year – was “running away at the first sign of gunfire” after he was pursued by journalists through Holyrood on Wednesday facing questions over a crass joke made by party leader Malcolm Offord.

Mr Findlay said three things would happen over the next six weeks: the SNP’s record in Government would be scrutinised by voters, Reform would “come under the spotlight”, and his party’s record would be put to voters.

Speaking to the Press Association, Mr Findlay said while he would “love to be first minister” he did not come into politics to “get a job or status”.

He added: “I came into politics to make a difference, and that’s what the Scottish Conservatives are doing. That’s what we’ve been doing for the past 10 years at Holyrood, there’s been only one party consistently that stood up to John Swinney’s SNP, we saw off Nicola Sturgeon, we saw off Humza Yousaf, and now we need to see off John Swinney.”

When asked if he would ever consider supporting Mr Swinney as first minister, he said: “Hell would freeze over before I would back any SNP first minister or SNP government.”