The Conversation (0)
Liam O'Dell
Apr 09, 2023
Scottish Conservatives leader suggests voters back Labour over Tories to oust SNP
Sky News
It’s not been the best week for the Tories – what with one of their MPs having the whip suspended as a result of an undercover sting by The Times, and the Home Office having to delete an awkward tweet about Suella Braverman – so the last thing they need is Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross telling people to vote Labour.
Oops.
In eyebrow-raising remarks made to The Telegraph, the Tory MSP – who is also an MP in Westminster – said Scottish voters should “do what is best for the country” and back the “strongest possible candidate to beat the SNP” at the next general election – even if that candidate represents their biggest UK political rivals, Labour.
He told the outlet: “I will always encourage Scottish Conservative voters to vote Scottish Conservative, but I think generally the public can see, and they want the parties to accept, that where there is the strongest candidate to beat the SNP, you get behind that candidate.
“If parties maybe look a bit beyond their own narrow party agenda to what's best for the country … what would be best is if we see this grip that the SNP has on Scotland at the moment loosened, and we see a change coming.”
As is to be expected when you’re effectively arguing for your party to suffer losses at the ballot box, this idea has gone down like a cup of cold sick with the Conservative Party down in London.
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One of their spokespeople told The Telegraph: “This is emphatically not the view of the Conservative Party. We want people to vote for Conservative candidates wherever they are standing as that’s the best way to keep Labour and the SNP out.”
Oh dear.
He didn’t back down or withdraw his comments in an interview on Sky News, either, saying people want “party leaders urging people to get behind their party in seats where they are the strongest party”, but also stressing that he will “always urge Scottish Conservative voters to vote Scottish Conservative”.
\u201cHere\u2019s that seemingly contradictory message on tactical voting from Douglas Ross on Sky News just now with @WilfredFrost interviewing \ud83d\udc47\ud83c\udffb\u201d— Rob Powell (@Rob Powell) 1681049337
Does that make sense?
Don’t worry, many Twitter users can’t believe it either:
\u201cDouglas Ross continues his anti-independence crusade to get Tory voters to cast their ballots for Labour.\n\nBoth parties are one & the same - Brexit cheerleaders & democracy deniers.\n\n#YouYesYet? \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f\n\nhttps://t.co/ArCiy2db7j\u201d— Kevin Stewart SNP (@Kevin Stewart SNP) 1681048847
\u201cThis coward knows he and his party are finished in Scotland so he desperately attempts to drag the most popular party into the swamp with him. What a disgusting human being he is. \n\nDouglas Ross's tactical voting call 'emphatically' rejected by Tory Party https://t.co/Tgyoso8clK\u201d— Jeff (@Jeff) 1681044641
\u201cIt speaks volumes that Douglas Ross hasn't got confidence in his own party if he is telling people to vote Labour lol \ud83e\udd23\u201d— indy swim \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f (@indy swim \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f) 1680992306
\u201cThis is not just tactical voting this is unionists turning the GE into a De Facto referendum by stealth \nWell if that\u2019s what they want let\u2019s make it official and go for it. https://t.co/ASeEnS82H8\u201d— Al Morrison\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f (@Al Morrison\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f) 1681034593
\u201cNot sure Douglas Ross can be said to have political insight if he\u2019s recommending people vote Labour in Scotland. Does he not recognise Scotland is Labour\u2019s only route to majority government?\u201d— \ud83d\udc99Laurie Driver - #AnnualMinimumWage (@\ud83d\udc99Laurie Driver - #AnnualMinimumWage) 1681053384
\u201cOn Clyde 1 Douglas Ross told people to support the candidate that will beat the SNP after denying he told voters to support Labour \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23. Fucking twisting himself up saying vote Labour \nI'll be voting #SNP \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f\u201d— More determined than ever for indy\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f (@More determined than ever for indy\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f) 1681038208
\u201cThey can\u2019t even get people to vote for other parties right\u2026. https://t.co/Q6ZiPa41A9\u201d— Pete Wishart (@Pete Wishart) 1681025378
\u201cIn our humble opinion, it's a mistake for Douglas Ross to openly ask for Tories to vote Labour. That will happen anyway \u2013 we're no' daft. But his call keeps Tories as a party of the constitution, rather than dealing with the real-life problems Scots face. 1/6\u201d— The Majority (@The Majority) 1681053331
Not exactly putting the ‘tact’ in tactical voting, are we, Douglas?
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