TORY RALLYING CALL TO VOTERS: IT'S THE LAST CHANCE TO STOP THE SNP
- Douglas Ross says a vote for him is vote for a better future
- Every vote matters with several areas too close to call
Scotland's political leaders were among the first to cast their votes as the nation’s polling stations opened their doors at 7am.
Scottish Conservatives urged everyone to have their say in a bid to deliver a knockout blow to the failing SNP.
Party leader Douglas Ross, who is standing for election in the North East, hammered home the message that the only way to stop John Swinney’s victory is to vote him.
He posted on X, formerly Twitter: ‘The polls are open across the country and I’m asking voters in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East to vote for me to stop the SNP.
‘By voting Scottish Conservative, we can get the focus onto the issues that really matter. It’s going to be very close. Every vote matters.’
Mr Ross, the outgoing leader, is contesting the seat instead of former MP David Duguid - who was barred by Conservative bosses due to ill health - but will not face a candidate backed by Labour.
Andy Brown, who was due to stand for the party, was suspended and stripped of support after reports of controversial social media posts which he denies.
The Scottish Tories described some seats as being ‘on a knife edge between the SNP and Scottish Conservatives’ as they warned: ‘Not voting risks the SNP getting in.’
First Minister John Swinney walked to his local polling station at Burrelton Village Hall, Perthshire, with his 13-year-old son Matthew.
He was photographed greeting the SNP candidate Dave Doogan, who is running in the Angus and Perthshire Glens constituency.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar posted on social media that he had been ‘delighted’ to vote in the Glasgow South constituency.
He told voters: ‘If you want change, you have to vote for it.’
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton voted in Edinburgh West, while the co-leaders of the Scottish Greens, Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater, will cast their votes in Glasgow and Edinburgh respectively.
First results in Scotland expected from 1am
Polling places are open in Scotland’s 57 constituencies until 10pm, with first results expected soon after 1am on Friday and most between 3am and 5am.
Rutherglen and Hamilton West was the first to declare at the 2019 election, when the SNP won 48 seats while the Tories took six and the Liberal Democrats four.
Labour was reduced to a single MP.
But Sir Keir Starmer’s party has since enjoyed a resurgence as support has fallen away from the SNP and against a backdrop of turmoil for the Conservatives.
About a quarter of Scotland’s 4,081,585 registered voters requested a postal vote.
Those going to the ballot boxes in person must produce photo ID at polling stations, which could add to the wait for people to cast their vote.