Holyrood 2016: Scotland '˜deserves better' says Davidson

Ruth Davidson's comments on SNP "control freakery" come as she prepares to hold the government's "feet to the fire" during this election. Picture: John Devlin

Scotland deserves better than the 'political control freakery' of the SNP, Conservative leader Ruth Davidson will claim as she attempts to oust Labour from its role as the main opposition party in Holyrood.

In the contest for the May 5 election, the Tories have been calling on voters to install them as the second largest party in the Scottish Parliament.

With Labour determined to fight off the challenge, Scottish leader Kezia Dugdale will focus her attention on how new welfare powers coming to the Edinburgh parliament could be used to create a “social security system with dignity at its heart”.

Meanwhile Ms Davidson will tell Conservatives that the SNP in power puts a “sticking plaster over the many fundamental issues we need to tackle”.

While polls suggest Nicola Sturgeon’s party is heading for a second majority term, Ms Davidson will insist there needs to be a change in attitude.

Holyrood 2016: Poll shows Labour ahead of Tories

“We need the SNP to put its own political ambitions to one side, and focus on making Scotland work better,” she will say.

“We are going to provide the strong opposition that, up till now, the SNP hasn’t had to cope with. We are going to finally hold this SNP government’s feet to the fire.”

Ms Davidson will insist: “Scotland deserves better than this political control freakery, it deserves better than a government which still puts its cause of independence first, it deserves better than the endless fake grievance and the spin over substance.”

Ms Sturgeon will set out how a re-elected SNP administration would work with unions as she addresses the Scottish Trades Union Congress annual congress in Dundee.

Meanwhile Ms Dugdale will promise Labour would create a fairer social security system if voted into office.

The party plans to abolish the so-called bedroom tax, raise the carers’ allowance to the same level as jobseekers’ allowance and double the Sure Start maternity grant paid to some new mothers to just over £1,000.#