Ruth Davidson looks to "real Ed Balls moment" for SNP's Angus Robertson

The Tories are fighting a “titanic battle” in a bid to oust the SNP's Westminster leader from the Commons, with Ruth Davidson claiming her party has a “pretty good” chance of victory.

The Scottish Conservative leader said her party's chances of defeating Angus Robertson in Moray were “close to 50%”.

If Tory MSP Douglas Ross does manage to overturn the SNP depute leader's 9,065 vote majority on June 8, Ms Davidson said it would be “a real Ed Balls moment for Scotland”.

The then-Labour shadow chancellor suffered a shock defeat in the 2015 general election, with the Tories capturing the Morley and Outwood constituency.

Speaking about the election contest in Moray, Ms Davidson said:

“There is a real titanic battle up there.”

Asked to rate her party's chances of winning the seat, she said: “Pretty good.''

Ms Davidson added: “It's a very pro-Union part of the country, and it was the most pro-Brexit area of Scotland. I also think for those people, the 50.1% of people in Moray who voted Remain, similar to thousands of people across Scotland who voted Remain that are also pro-Union, they are really angry.

“I don't think anybody has cottoned on to how angry pro-UK Remainers are that Nicola Sturgeon, Angus Robertson and others have hijacked their Remain vote to be a proxy vote for independence. People are furious about it.”

Mr Ross, a football referee who was elected to Holyrood in 2016 when the Tories returned 31 MSPs, is a “fantastic” candidate, Ms Davidson said.

She stated: “I want to see my candidates returned, I want to see Conservatives in Scotland serving in the House of Commons.

“But I think should Angus Robertson's seat fall, I think that's a real Ed Balls moment for Scotland.”

Ms Davidson spoke out after giving a speech in Edinburgh ahead of Thursday's local government elections in Scotland.

She said that ballot was about “who will stand up against the SNP” and “who in our local communities will act as champions for local services, not cheerleaders for separation”.

Ms Davidson made clear she did not want Tory councillors to go into coalition with the SNP in Scotland's town halls - but also stressed the decision was one for local Conservative group leaders to make.

She said: “We don't just preach devolution, we practise it, and our local group leaders are empowered to make decisions that they feel are best for their local area.”

But she added that having spoken to all the Conservative council group leaders “there's not a single one who wants to do a deal with their local SNP person”.

SNP leaders have ruled out the prospect of any deals with the Tories following on from the council elections.

The Conservatives propose where there is demand for Scotland to have “directly elected provosts for cities, councils or wider regions” - similar to English mayors.

Ms Davidson said such people would be “powerful figures with a strategic remit and the levers they need to drive economic growth” and would also be “able to challenge the First Minister”.

She hit out at the nationalists, saying: “If you asked most Scots right now, they'd rather SNP councillors were filling up cracks in their road, not opening up cracks in the UK.”

And in Edinburgh, where the SNP is in power with Labour, she said the “beautiful city” was “marred by dirty streets and overflowing bins”.

Ms Davidson branded that a disgrace in our capital city and global tourist destination'' and said the problem had been arunning sore for years''.

But she warned if the nationalists win control of more councils it would be a “backward step” that would mean “vital local services will be in the hands of supine administrations, happily submitting to Nicola Sturgeon's centralising agenda”.

The Tory described Ms Sturgeon as being “like a Nat out of hell”, claiming the SNP “see every election as a chance to push for independence”.

Ms Davidson added: “Only the Scottish Conservatives can stand up to the SNP against a second referendum. Only the Scottish Conservatives can lead Scotland's fightback against the SNP.”

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale insisted the local and general elections were not simply a two-horse race between the Tories and the SNP.

Speaking at a campaign event in Edinburgh, she said: “The council elections on Thursday and the General Election on June 8 are about two things.

“Standing up for the public services that we all value, which the Tories want to decimate.

“And sending a message to Nicola Sturgeon that the people of Scotland don't want another divisive independence referendum.”

She added: “On Thursday, send the Tories a message - tell them that Scotland does not want their austerity.

“And send Nicola Sturgeon a message as well. Tell her to abandon her plan for another divisive referendum and get on with the day job.

“You can protest against the Tories and protest against plans for a second referendum on Thursday with one vote - by voting Labour.

“And in return, you'll get a local champion for your community.”

The party goes into Thursday's vote trailing the SNP and the Tories in the polls, and hoping to cling on to control of local authorities across Scotland, including its Glasgow City Council power base.

Asked about whether Scottish Labour would rule out coalitions with the Tories, Ms Dugdale said: “The Scottish executive committee will meet on Saturday afternoon and set out a framework by which we will approach any suggestion of deals, coalitions or pacts with any other parties.

“Any position that we take will be clearly rooted in one single principle - we won't join any pacts that involve passing on cuts to the poorest people in the country.”

Richard Lochhead, the SNP MSP for Moray, hit back at Ms Davidson's claims that the Conservatives could win the seat.

He said: “This shows a special kind of arrogance from the Tories which feedback on the doorsteps shows is clearly backfiring as voters tell us they are determined to reject the Tories and elect Angus Robertson who has a track record for championing Moray.

“No wonder they are setting their sights on Angus Robertson - with his effective questioning at PMQs tying Theresa May in knots each week, he's the biggest thorn in the Tories' side.”