Douglas Ross, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, initiated his party’s campaign for the Scottish General Election in Perth. Speaking at a hotel to party activists and candidates, Ross emphasized the potential for the Conservatives to significantly diminish the Scottish National Party's (SNP) dominance in Scottish politics, particularly looking to unseat SNP’s long-serving MP Pete Wishart. Boundary changes have resulted in Perth now being part of the Perth and Kinross-shire constituency.
Ross attacked the SNP’s performance at Holyrood and criticized SNP leader John Swinney's support of former health secretary Michael Matheson. He expressed optimism that the upcoming election on July 4 could mark an end to the SNP's push for independence, suggesting that this day could represent Scotland moving away from SNP control.
In response, Pete Wishart, SNP MP for Perth and Kinross-Shire, defended the SNP’s record in government and criticized the impact of Westminster policies on Scotland. He argued that the best decisions for Scotland are made within Scotland and urged voters to support the SNP to ensure Scottish decisions are made domestically.
Former SNP leader Alex Salmond, now heading the pro-independence Alba Party, also made a plea to voters to support his party, criticizing the SNP’s focus on independence and predicting significant SNP losses in the upcoming election. Salmond’s Alba Party will be fielding 20 candidates in the election. Recent polls have suggested that the SNP may indeed see a decrease in their parliamentary presence.
As the campaign progresses, the Conservatives and Alba Party appear set on challenging SNP’s long-standing influence in Scottish politics, each aiming to redirect the future political landscape.