DOUGLAS Ross has “more chance of winning the lottery than becoming First Minister,” a senior SNP MSP has said.

George Adam, the SNP's chief whip in Holyrood, was responding after Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross declared himself “in it to win it” over his Holyrood 2021 campaign.

Earlier this month polling on 2021 voting intentions put the Tories in second place with decided voters — but that still only gave them 20% in the regional contest and 21% for constituencies.

In contrast, the figures for the SNP were 46% and 53%.

In an interview with the BBC, Ross was asked if he believes he can become the country's next First Minister. He said: “I’ve said many times that I’m in this to win this.

“It’s absolutely vital that I do everything that I can to ensure the Scottish Conservative policies that I’m developing, our team are bringing forward, that I think can really make a difference to people right across Scotland, have every opportunity to be enacted.

“So, I’m in it to win it.”

The remarks came two days after Ross hinted that he would be willing to enter into a coalition with Labour to keep the SNP out of power — a prospect Richard Leonard dismissed on Saturday, tweeting: “Scottish Labour happy to rule out a sensational deal with Douglas Ross. Or any kind of deal, for that matter.”

Commenting on Ross' interview, Paisley MSP Adam said: “Douglas Ross trots out gameshow slogans like ‘in it to win it’ but he knows he has more chance of winning the lottery than becoming First Minister.

“He can’t even convince himself. On Friday night he was begging those other no-hopers, Scottish Labour, to help him.

“We’ve all grown accustomed to this denial of reality from Scottish Tory leaders. Jackson Carlaw claimed the same but he only lasted five months before his party binned him.

“Baroness Ruth Davidson pretended she had FM ambitions for eight years before she caved in and decided to abandon Holyrood for a cushy seat in the unelected Lords.

“And at the ballot box this May, Douglas Ross will also be left in no doubt that Scotland will never trust Tories but they do trust the SNP to deliver for Scotland.”