THE Scottish Tories’ Holyrood manifesto for cuts is “about as viable as their election chances,” according to the Scottish TUC.

The beleaguered party, helmed by Russell Findlay, launched its pitch to voters in Edinburgh in Tuesday, pledging to cut both taxes and social security.

Not content with the SNP Scottish government’s plans to axe 11,000 public-sector jobs over the next parliament to close a budget shortfall forecast to reach £4.7 billion by 2029-30, Mr Findlay plans to save a staggering £7 billion through slashing spending on social security and cuts to “bureaucracy.”

He would lavish the savings on raising income tax thresholds tax thresholds while merging lower bands into a single 19 per cent starting rate — a package benefiting the higher earners.

“That is our Conservative way”, said Mr Findlay.

He went on to claim the manifesto was “comprehensive, costed and credible.”

SNP candidate for Banffshire and Buchan Coast Karen Adam was unconvinced.

She said: “Did Russell Findlay also find his decision to back Liz Truss to the hilt as she destroyed the economy ‘costed and credible’? 

“There is nothing credible about anything Russell Findlay has to say.

“The Tories, the Labour Party and Reform have nothing to offer the Scottish people and we know Anas Sarwar is plotting a dodgy deal with the pair of them.

Branding the Tories “utterly irrelevant,” Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said: “Russell Findlay and co were cheerleading for Liz Truss while she crashed the economy so it’s no wonder voters are turning away from the Scottish Tories in their droves.

“While the height of the Scottish Tories’ ambition is to deprive the SNP of a majority, Scottish Labour is fighting to remove them from government entirely.”

Meanwhile, STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said: “The Tory manifesto is about as relevant and viable as their election chances. 

“Callous cuts dressed up as bureaucratic savings won’t fool workers and won’t fool voters. 

“It’s true to form for the Conservatives that, instead of targeting those with wealth in Scotland, they would rather attack the welfare state, cutting off vital support for those who need it across the country. 

“Thankfully, according to the polls at least, working people won’t need to pay too much attention to the Tory Party for much longer and this prospectus for Scotland will be all too easily forgotten.”