Russell Findlay has demanded a radical power shift to stop Scotland sliding towards a ‘one-party state’ under the SNP.

The leader of the Scottish Conservatives expressed concerns that the nation had become a ‘one-ideology state’ due to the Nationalists placing like-minded ‘crony activists’ throughout the public sector.

He criticized Holyrood as a ‘performative parliament’ where ministers evaded scrutiny with ‘no shame’ and MSPs, compared to ‘jellyfish’ for their lack of resolve, asked prepared questions. He accused the SNP of ‘running Scotland into the ground’.

Speaking to Tory members in Glasgow, he remarked: ‘What happens inside the concrete structure at the foot of the Royal Mile has grown increasingly irrelevant and sometimes harmful to the majority of ordinary Scots.

‘Much of that is the fault of an SNP government which has peddled a divisive agenda for almost two decades. 

‘The so-called “progressive” parties – who sided with the SNP on higher taxes, wasteful spending, and fashionable Left ideologies – also deserve to be held accountable for the current situation.

‘Collectively, they’ve been running Scotland, but running it into the ground.’

He proposed a three-part strategy against the ‘self-serving political elite in Edinburgh’, which includes granting more funds and authority to councils, increasing transparency in lobbying across the public sector beyond just the Government, and eliminating at least a quarter of unaccountable quangos.

Russell Findlay called for a three-pronged attack on the ‘self-serving political elite in Edinburgh’ 

Mr Findlay also said the civil service in Scotland should be ‘outlawed’ from working on independence and ‘agitating for the break-up of Britain’.

He further commented: ‘If the SNP wishes to expend its time and designated donations on this endeavor, that’s their choice. However, they don’t have the right to do so using taxpayers’ money.

‘The public sector is littered with SNP loyalists because the government bestows appointments and contracts to those who toe the line. Collectively, from top to bottom, these people don’t trust the public to make their own decisions.’

The West Scotland MSP added: ‘What happens at Holyrood is often a waste of time and taxpayers’ money.

‘It fixates on fringe issues that the majority don’t care about. Yes, I’m thinking of the SNP’s bizarre obsession with gender self-ID.

‘Yes, I’m thinking of puffed-up MSPs who wag their fingers at the world.

‘And when the Scottish parliament does focus on the right things it spends vast sums on poor outcomes.’

‘Holyrood was supposed to bring decision-making closer to the people, but it’s never felt more remote.

Scots Tory leader Russell Findlay said Holyrood has ‘become little more than a performative parliament’ 

Humza Yousaf with First Minister John Swinney

‘Holyrood has become little more than a performative parliament.’

Blasting the SNP’s nanny state, Mr Findlay said voters are ‘sick’ of paying more tax for less power over the lives and sick of being told what to do by politicians.

The former crime reporter said the SNP’s long reign had led to ‘intolerance’ and ‘groupthink’, as when critics of gender self-ID reforms were ‘shouted down and shut out’.

He said: ‘You could be forgiven for thinking Scotland has become a one-party state. It’s not quite. But it is a one-ideology state.

‘The Scottish political establishment believes that taxes must only go up. That benefits must keep rising. That immigration is always good.

‘That free speech must be curtailed to avoid causing offence. That private enterprise must be kept in check by red tape and tax. That trade unions must dictate what happens in schools.

‘That throwing limitless sums of money at the NHS is the only option. All of these are the ideology of Scotland’s political establishment. Anyone with a bit of common sense can see that change is necessary.’ 

The Scottish Tory leader said councils should have bigger budgets – with more power devolved from Edinburgh to local communities.

Russell Findlay said more power should be devolved to local communities

He said one example would be giving councils the power to cut business rates, instead of the current national rate, and a detailed paper would be issued ‘in due course’.

Elected leader less than a year ago, Mr Findlay insisted he was ‘here to stay’ despite MSP Jeremy Balfour quitting the Tories last week over the party’s ‘reactionary politics’ and the threat from Reform UK in the polls.

Calling the resignation of the Lothian region MSP ‘disappointing’ the party leader said: ‘Jeremy’s expressed concern about Scotland’s social security benefits: he believes that benefits should rise, our party has recognised that it’s unsustainable and unaffordable so I can’t agree with him on that point.

‘We are working tirelessly to bring forward proper, conservative policies, rooted in our values.

‘It’s only by doing so, it’s only by talking to the public about what we would do differently, about why Scotland needs to change, that we can hope to remove the SNP. Just because things are tough, doesn’t mean that we leave the pitch.’

Nationalist MSP George Adam said: ‘Russell Findlay would do well to look at himself in the mirror and ask why his MSPs are jumping ship from the sinking vessel that is the Scottish Conservative Party, rather than taking tiresome swipes at the Scottish parliament.’