A UK Government minister claimed last night that Ruth Davidson was the only party leader who can go “toe-to-toe” with Nicola Sturgeon.
Conservative Scotland Office Minister Lord Dunlop made the remark as he predicted the party was poised to make “real progress”.
Praising his Scottish party leader Ms Davidson, he said: “When you have a popular leader you really put that popular leader front and centre, and I think she connects with people, she cuts through to people, and you should play to your strengths. That’s what we’ve done with this campaign.
“I think she’s the one leader of a party who can quite clearly go toe-to-toe with Nicola Sturgeon, and I think that is what people are looking for in the next parliament.”
As Labour headed for its worst every Holyrood result, former Scottish leader Johann Lamont defended the performance of Kezia Dugdale, however.
“I think she has done extremely well. I think Kez has led the way in some of the big political issues that we confront as a country.
“I think the real world barely broke into political debate in the last period around this election.
“But out on the doors people are talking about waiting times in hospital, worried about the care of their elderly parents, worried about the quality education.
“And I would say that Kezia Dugdale is an amazingly courageous young woman, who is willing and able to make the case that if you’re going to have high quality public services, we have to fund them.
“That debate was closed down by the SNP and Conservatives, and that is profoundly depressing.”
Former SNP First Minister Alex Salmond hit back, saying: “There does seem to be a fair gap between Nicola Sturgeon’s approval ratings and the rest.
“Where I think Labour go wrong in this election is they make the assumption that the SNP is unpopular on key issues facing the country.
“There’s no point in the opposition running against what they say is the SNP’s bad record, when the people of Scotland who are voting today give the SNP such solid approval ratings.”