Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are being urged to explain themselves to ordinary families and businesses struggling through the cost of living crisis as they made a whistle-stop tour of supporters in the north-east.
Both candidates hoping to become the UK’s next prime minister were in the region on Tuesday to see Conservative Party members who hold the future political leadership of the country in their hands.
But while the two candidates make their pitch to the converted, opponents say they’re meeting the wrong people.
Mr Sunak and Ms Truss were urged to use their time in the north-east to meet people feeling the brunt of policy decisions.
‘Catastrophic price projections’
Stephen Flynn, SNP MP for Aberdeen South, said they are only targeting a tiny fraction of voters.
In an open invitation, emailed to both challengers, Mr Flynn wrote: “Both of you have failed to commit to anything like the level of support that is required given the catastrophic price projections.
“The wretched policy decisions of the government that you were both part of has driven businesses to the wall and households to the brink with utility bills soaring through the roof.
“It is imperative that both of you see the situation for yourself.”
Mr Flynn offered to arrange for Mr Sunak and Ms Truss to meet individuals and businesses in his constituency.
In recent days, a Torry fudge shop and a Chinese takeaway in the city have blamed rising costs for their decisions to close.
Ms Truss began her local tour at the Benriach Distillery, near Elgin, where she promised to “boost” the economy of Aberdeen and the north-east through the oil and gas industry.
“I worked in the oil and gas industry, I worked for Shell,” she said.
“I would make sure we are boosting the economy of Aberdeen and the north-east and that we are dealing with the energy crisis we face because of Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine by utilising our natural gas.”
Oil and gas, and fishing
Earlier, a Scotland-wide poll commissioned by advisory firm True North found some 85% of respondents believe the UK should meet its own demand for oil and gas.
While Ms Truss was in Moray, Mr Sunak visited west Aberdeenshire and met local MP Andrew Bowie and party activists.
Mr Bowie was one of the first Scottish MPs to voice his support for the former chancellor.
Mr Sunak and Ms Truss also spoke with members of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, an organisation which sent out an open invitation the previous day.
Federation president Ian Gatt raised concerns with the Brexit deal and called for “full control” of waters beyond 2026.
He said: “Both agreed that if they win, they will meet us in their early weeks in No 10 to drive forward this, and other vital issues for our industry.”
I will work closely with Douglas Ross.
– Liz Truss
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has so far declined to endorse either candidate, but met both during the tour.
He was at Benriach Distillery in his own constituency for Ms Truss’s visit and was later with Mr Sunak in Aberdeen.
During her visit to Moray Ms Truss praised Mr Ross’s performances in Holyrood, and said: “I will work closely with Douglas Ross who is responsible for holding Nicola Sturgeon to account and doing a fantastic job of that.
“He has been exposing the SNP’s failures on rail, ferries, education, health and crime.”
Ms Truss and Mr Sunak were preparing to face each other in a debate in Perth on Tuesday evening, before heading to Belfast for another hustings on Wednesday.
Both were primed for a grilling on Scottish independence, devolution and their plans to tackle inflation.
It comes as a new poll revealed that a quarter of Scots would be more likely to support Scottish independence regardless of who becomes the next prime minister.