Stephen Flynn urges Labour to back SNP to oust Douglas Ross at general election

Stephen Flynn has called on Labour to back the SNP in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East to make sure outgoing Tory leader Douglas Ross loses.

Labour is not fielding a candidate in the seat after it withdrew support for candidate Andy Brown over a "pro-Russia" social media post.

The Nationalists' Westminster leader has written to Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar calling on him to ask his party's supporters and members to back the SNP in the north-east seat.

Flynn said Labour refusing to back the SNP "will lead to real questions about whether Labour would prefer to see their former Better Together allies winning seats over the SNP".

Ross announced he was running in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East after hospitalised candidate David Duguid was blocked from standing.

Ross had previously been set to stand down from Westminster, which he said he was doing to focus on Holyrood.

Facing backlash from his Scottish colleagues, Ross announced days later that he will stand down as Scottish Tory leader after the election.

Flynn said: “Of all the Tories who have shamed Scotland over the last five years of this UK Government, Douglas Ross has been the worst of all.

“He has backed every disastrous Tory prime minister and every policy which has caused so much misery across Scotland. Now he has topped it off by shamefully forcing out a colleague who was in a hospital bed in order to impose himself as the candidate in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.

“At this election we have the chance to give him the electoral defeat that he deserves – but that will need everyone who wants to see the Tories beaten to unite behind the SNP.

“With Labour not fielding a candidate in this crucial seat, I am calling on Anas Sarwar to make clear to his supporters and members locally that he backs a vote for the SNP to defeat Douglas Ross.

“This costs Anas Sarwar nothing. If he refuses, it will lead to real questions about whether Labour would prefer to see their former Better Together allies winning seats over the SNP.

“Douglas Ross has already been forced into resigning as leader of the Tories. If he isn’t good enough for the Tories, he certainly isn’t good enough for the people of the North East of Scotland.

“On Thursday, we have a chance to get rid of every Tory MP in Scotland by voting for the SNP to ensure Scotland's interests are always put first.”

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