Tory leadership: Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak target Scottish votes at Perth hustings - BBC News
Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak are in Perth to pitch for the votes of Scottish Tory members.
Leadership candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak are to pitch for the votes of Scottish Conservative members at a hustings in Perth.

Both have stated their opposition to a referendum on Scottish independence and want their policies to apply UK-wide.

And each has policies to challenge the Scottish government, calling for greater scrutiny of the SNP's record.

The SNP said neither candidate was offering a solution to the cost of living crisis.

Both candidates would boost support for independence, they added.

The two contenders to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister are taking part in a series of events around the UK.

The event at the Perth Concert Hall will give local Tory members the chance to question the candidates on Scottish issues as well as other topics such as the cost of living.

Speaking ahead of the hustings on a visit to the Benriach distillery, near Elgin, Ms Truss said she was "absolutely passionate about Scotland and the United Kingdom" and committed to delivering jobs, growth and opportunity.

On the cost of living, Ms Truss said the "first thing" she would do would be to reduce people's taxes. She also underlined her opposition to windfall taxes on industries such as oil and gas.

She promised to work with Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross to take on the SNP, which she said had been "failing the Scottish people, whether that's on education, whether that's on health or whether that's on the transport system."

Ms Truss - the foreign secretary - also said the case of a man from Dumbarton who was arrested in Punjab nearly five years ago should be "brought to justice as soon as possible" by the Indian authorities.

Jagtar Singh Johal was arrested in November 2017 but was only formally charged with conspiracy to commit murder and of being a member of a terrorist gang last month.

The Indian government previously said Mr Johal's detention was based on "sufficient prosecutable evidence", but in May human rights investigators at the UN said his detention had no legal basis.

Liz Truss said she was "absolutely passionate" about Scotland and the United Kingdom

Ms Truss sparked controversy earlier this month when she claimed that it would be best to "ignore" First Minister Nicola Sturgeon - who she described as an "attention seeker".

The comments were condemned as "completely and utterly unacceptable" by Deputy First Minister John Swinney, with Ms Sturgeon later claiming that Ms Truss had once asked her how she could be featured in Vogue magazine.

Mr Sunak - who spent the morning meeting party activists in Aberdeenshire - said he did not believe that ignoring the first minister was the right approach.

In an interview with BBC Scotland ahead of the debate, he said: "I don't want to ignore Nicola Sturgeon, I want to take her on and beat her.

"I think we can make a very strong case for what the UK government does to help people in Scotland, and as Chancellor I started that - to directly support Scottish communities and local areas.

"I would do more of that as prime minister and I want to hold the SNP government to account for its failings when it comes to delivering public services".

Both Mr Sunak and Ms Truss have stated their opposition to an independence referendum, despite the Scottish government's plans to hold a vote in October 2023.

And they have set out a series of policies aimed at strengthening the union and increasing the visibility of the UK government north of the border.

Mr Sunak has announced proposals to reform a team of advisers within Downing Street known as the "union unit".

The former chancellor said his future reforms would ensure "every single" government department operated UK-wide, despite key policy areas such as education and health having been in the control of Holyrood since devolution in 1999.

He has also called for Scotland's top civil servant to testify before a Westminster committee on an annual basis, while requiring the Scottish government to publish consistent data on the delivery of key services so these can be compared UK-wide.

He said: "The future of the United Kingdom is bright but our union must work together, each nation shoulder to shoulder, to get there.

"We must defeat the collective challenges threatening the health of our public services. Under my plans, the UK government will play its part, but the same must be reciprocated by Holyrood."

Ms Truss meanwhile has stressed that she would retain the "minister for the union" title Boris Johnson took on as prime minister.

She said she would make changes to the Scotland Act to give MSPs the same full parliamentary privilege as MPs at Westminster.

MPs have legal immunity from prosecution over statements made in the Commons, while MSPs have a narrower set of protections against defamation claims and some court actions.

Ms Truss said giving MSPs the same status as MPs "would allow for more robust questioning for ministers" and would "increase the powers of the Scottish parliament to hold the Scottish government to account".

She said: "For too long, people in Scotland have been let down by the SNP focusing on constitutional division instead of their priorities. That won't happen under my watch. I'll make sure that my government does everything to ensure elected representatives hold the devolved administration to account for its failure to deliver the quality public services, particularly health and education, that Scottish people deserve."

The two remaining candidates have taken part in a series of hustings events as well as head-to-head debates

Both candidates have won the backing of a number of Scottish Conservative MPs and MSPs.

However the party's Scottish leader Douglas Ross has said he will not be publicly backing either, saying he will "work with whoever emerges victorious".

The SNP said both candidates should "apologise for the Tory failings that have pushed so many families to the brink".

The party's Westminster leader Ian Blackford said: "During the cost of living crisis, many neighbouring countries have capped energy price increases, cut VAT on bills and offered meaningful financial support to the most vulnerable, the UK Tory government has sat on its hands - and both Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss have said nothing.

"Whoever wins this leadership contest, Scotland loses. That's why we need the full powers of independence to banish Westminster governments Scotland doesn't vote for and to deliver for the people who live here."

On Monday, Welsh former cabinet minister Alun Cairns switched his support from Mr Sunak to Ms Truss, saying she was the best candidate to keep the UK together.

The ex-Welsh secretary argued the union would be more likely to break up under Mr Sunak, compared to his opponent and praised Liz Truss for her "positive ambition for our country".

It may seem like the Conservative leadership contest has been going on for about five years, but somehow there are still three weeks to go until one of the two contenders enters Downing Street.

That means there may still be time for them to win over some crucial votes.

Scotland has not been a huge focus of the campaign so far - possibly because the contest thrives on where the candidates differ, and they are in broad agreement about affairs north of the border.

Both are critical of the SNP and the Scottish government; both would refuse to back an independence referendum; and both want to do more to push their policies UK-wide.

But some Scottish Tories have said they are still waiting to hear more specific discussion before they make up their minds.

They may also want to look the candidates in the eye and really test their attitude and tone when it comes to those issues where they have a settled position. How serious are they, really, when it comes to the union, and holding their own against the Scottish government?

To be frank, which of them will be a better prospect with voters north of the border when it comes to a future election?