Election is a straight fight between SNP and Tories - Yousaf

Humza Yousaf has claimed that most Scottish seats in the next general election are a "straight fight" between the SNP and Tories.

The SNP leader was speaking at a spring event in Perth, where members and delegates have been discussing policy and the upcoming election.

Mr Yousaf called on members to "make history" by making Scotland "Tory free".

It comes as a recent poll suggested the SNP and Labour are level with voters.

In October last year, Labour defeated the SNP in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by election with a swing of 20.4%.

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The SNP's "campaign council" event took place at Perth Concert Hall on Saturday. Mr Yousaf said: "We can make history. And there's only one way to do it.

"Most seats across Scotland are a straight fight between the SNP and the Tories - and the SNP are in second place in each seat the Tories hold.

"Let us resolve, here and now, to win all of those Tory seats."

The Scottish Conservatives hold seven out of Scotland's 59 seats at Westminster - the SNP have 43.

'Labour treating Scotland as afterthought'

The first minister also used the speech to attack the Tories over the comments of prominent donor Frank Hester directed towards MP Diane Abbott - who he said made him "hate all black women" and "should be shot".

The comments were eventually decried by Downing Street as "racist" and Mr Yousaf and delegates sent their "solidarity" to Ms Abbott, punctuated by a standing ovation from the crowd.

Turning his attention to Labour, Mr Yousaf claimed the party had "made it clear that Scotland is an afterthought" as they were "prepared to risk 100,000 Scottish jobs to build new nuclear power plants in England".

This was in reference to Sir Keir Starmer's plans to raise the windfall tax on fossil fuel firms from 75% of excess profits to 78%, while also extending it to 2029.

The SNP have promised to oppose these plans as they had prompted "extreme anger" from people in the north east of Scotland.

He urged delegates to "reject Tory policies, Tory ideas and Tory values - and that's whether they're delivered by someone in a blue rosette or a red one".