Nine Tory MSPs have backed Liz Truss as first minister, saying Scotland would be “at the heart of the Union” under her leadership.
The Foreign Secretary has been described as a “sincere unionist” by Scottish Tory politicians Finlay Carson, Sharon Dowey, Murdo Fraser, Rachael Hamilton, Liam Kerr, Stephen Kerr, Douglas Lumsden, Oliver Mundell and Graham Simpson in a public comment.
The Tory leader hopeful has previously insisted she will not allow a second Scottish independence referendum to be held if she becomes prime minister.
The handful of Scottish Tory politicians said: “Having spent her early years living in Scotland, Liz is a child of the Union.
“She knows from personal experience that we are stronger when we work together across the UK.”
The public notice, which was published in The Times newspaper on Monday, described Ms Truss as “a sincere and passionate Unionist”, adding “with Liz as Prime Minister, the Union will not only stand up for itself, it will be defended”.
MSPs claimed Ms Truss is the only candidate in the Conservative leadership contest who has “a bold and ambitious plan for the country and the economy, based on Conservative values”.
They said he would get the economy moving by cutting taxes, including scrapping the planned rise in corporation tax, revising the windfall tax on energy companies and reversing the recent rise in National Insurance.
They concluded: “Liz will not play Nicola Sturgeon’s constitutional games.
“While the SNP continue their attempts to distract Scottish voters from their shameful record in government with a referendum sideshow, Liz as First Minister will focus on delivering to the people of Scotland on the issues that matter most to them.
“Liz will not be distracted by the pro-independence obsession of the SNP; it will be focused on uniting our country and giving it a result like never before.
“As Scotland suffers 15 years of SNP neglect, we need a First Minister who is prepared from day one to meet the challenges we face; who will defend a strong and vibrant place for Scotland at the heart of the Union; who will drive our economy forward so that Scotland emerges from the pandemic and global economic headwinds with all its citizens benefiting; and who will take on international threats like Vladimir Putin.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has indicated her intention to hold another independence vote on October 19 next year.
However, Ms Truss said the Scottish Independence Referendum Bill, tabled by the Government at Holyrood, is not legal.
He has previously said the referendum was a “once-in-a-generation opportunity, and I will keep it (SNP)”.
