RISHI Sunak can take on the SNP and win for the Conservative Party in Scotland, MP Andrew Bowie has claimed.
He told GB News: “It’s my view that Rishi Sunak is best placed to ensure Scotland’s place at the heart of the United Kingdom for years to come. That’s why I’m backing him.
“One of many reasons that I’m backing him, is he’s the one with a plan to ensure the Scottish government is held more properly to account by the UK Parliament, that the Scottish civil service is held more to account by the UK Parliament, and that UK ministers are held to account by Scottish parliamentary committees.
“We need to ensure the UK Government is representative and stands up for Scottish people as it does for people across the rest of the United Kingdom.
“That’s one way that we’re going to ensure Scotland remains at the heart of the UK. But the other is by taking the SNP at the ballot box and beating them.
“Liz Truss said a few weeks ago that the best way to beat the SNP was to ignore them. I fundamentally disagree.
“You don’t beat somebody by ignoring them, you beat them by winning the argument and that’s what we’ll do.”
Asked why the former Wales secretary has switched sides in an interview during Breakfast with Eamonn Holmes and Rosie Wright on GB News, he added: “I’ve backed Rishi since day one, I think he has plans for the economy to get inflation under control.
“Our inflation is running out of control and the impact that’s having on individual people’s wages across the country, a detrimental impact.
“That’s why Rishi getting inflation under control and growing the economy so we can then responsibly be in a position to cut taxes – is the sensible, conservative action that we need from a leader.
“What he will do to ensure that the Scottish Government is held more to account I think all of these are excellent policies…in the years moving forward.”
On why Mr Sunak appears to be behind in the polls, he said: “I think the only poll that really matters at the poll that will be unveiled on 5 September. That’s a poll of Conservative Party members when we all get to cast a ballot to choose our next leader.
“What I’m seeing is when Rishi goes around the country and speaks to individual members and speaks to the hustings and engages in events, people are convinced by his arguments convinced by his pitch to convince the he’s the person best placed to lead our country.”
