Ruth Davidson has said May’s council election is a golden opportunity for voters to make Nicola Sturgeon “pay the price for 15 years of failure.”
The former Scottish Conservative leader said the chance to kick the SNP out of council control was even greater than in 2017.
On Wednesday, Ruth Davidson joined Douglas Ross on the campaign trail in Edinburgh to warn of the threat of SNP-Labour coalitions.
It emerged this week that there are at least 25 candidates standing for Labour in May’s election who support independence or another referendum.
In six councils across Scotland, Labour are currently in coalition with the SNP.
Ruth Davidson said: “Last time around, pro-UK voters united to back the Scottish Conservatives to stop the SNP. The opportunity to kick the SNP out of power is even greater in this election.
“Local results over the last year show how close it is between the SNP and Scottish Conservatives in councils across the country.
“Across all the council by-elections held last year, out of the tens of thousands of votes cast, the Scottish Conservatives were just 300 votes behind the SNP, with Labour and the Lib Dems far behind in third and fourth place.
“Now, people right across Scotland have the chance to make Nicola Sturgeon pay the price for 15 years of failure.
“This is a golden opportunity to hold the SNP accountable for more than a decade of cutting council budgets, running down Scotland’s schools, leaving roads scarred with potholes, and centralising services away from local communities.
“Use your ballot to send Nicola Sturgeon a message she won’t forget. Vote Scottish Conservative to get all of the focus back onto your local priorities.”