A former SNP stalwart in Dumfries and Galloway who defected to the Tories this week insisted he has no regrets.
Councillor Andrew Wood was a member of the SNP for 20 years before quitting in 2019 and joining the local Conservatives.
Since then it has been an extremely bumpy ride for the Tories nationally due to the fallout from Brexit, several contract scandals during the Covid crisis and then partygate at 10 Downing Street.
Despite this, the Mid and Upper Nithsdale councillor insists that his ex-colleagues should come in for more criticism.
He said: “My concerns about the SNP and its leadership continually get reinforced by their total incompetence and lack of governance that takes place on a daily basis within the SNP.
“I have absolutely no regrets about leaving the SNP. I very much hope that those who continue to support this divisive, nanny state regime, start to waken up to the fact that the SNP Government is failing to deliver on airports, shipbuilding, trains, along with financing local governments, NHS and police, while at the same time creating a national black hole of over £3.5 billion.
“I fully accept that there are many things wrong with Westminster but on a relative scale of population being over 10 times larger, their failings are insignificant in comparison to the Scottish Government.
“I do believe that the SNP will disintegrate in the same way as Labour has by taking for granted and ignoring the voters.
“It will also be interesting to see the public response when the SNP presents their new white paper on independence – at a cost of £20 million of public funds.
“This will allow the public to see once again more recycled, hypothetical statements that are neither evidenced nor substantiated but will definitely leave pensioners at the mercy of the Scottish Government along with border control.”
Meanwhile, during Prime Minister’s questions at Westminster this week SNP’s Ian Blackford laid into the UK Government and accused the Tories of “holding back Scotland”.
Challenging Boris Johnson, Blackford said: “When you look at nations like Iceland, Ireland, Norway and Denmark, it is clear that our neighbours are outperforming the UK. They deliver greater equality, lower-poverty rates, higher productivity, social mobility and business investment.
