Douglas Ross has appealed to voters to give SNP candidates “the sending off they deserve” as he wrote to John Swinney asking why Michael Matheson had not been sacked.
The Scottish Conservative leader sent the letter ahead of campaign visits to East Renfrewshire and Glasgow where he was scheduled to give a red card to cutout figures of John Swinney, Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf.
Douglas Ross said that the Scottish Conservatives could score a “hat-trick” of victories over SNP leaders if voters unite in key seats up and down Scotland to back his party.
On Friday, the Scottish Conservative leader wrote to John Swinney to ask why Michael Matheson had not received any punishment from the SNP.
John Swinney hasn’t kicked Michael Matheson out of the SNP despite a cross-party Scottish Parliament vote resulting in a 27-day suspension for the disgraced former health secretary.
Neither John Swinney nor SNP MSPs voted for the sanctions against Michael Matheson on Wednesday.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: “John Swinney deserves a straight red card for his handling of the Michael Matheson scandal.
“Within a month of becoming First Minister, he has proved he's just another divisive SNP figure – like every other nationalist leader before him.
“The Scottish Conservatives got rid of Humza Yousaf and we saw off Nicola Sturgeon. Now we've got an opportunity to make it a hat-trick against John Swinney.
“I’m asking for voters who want action on their top priorities to help the Scottish Conservatives give SNP candidates the sending off they deserve.
“If voters back the Scottish Conservatives in key seats where it’s a straight fight between my party and the nationalists, we can beat the SNP and get the independence debate off the pitch for good.”