THE SNP’s depute leader Keith Brown MSP has said that Scotland is facing “the worst of both worlds” with either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak as prime minister.

This comes as the first weekend of the final run-off between the two candidates kicked off.

On Monday, Truss and Sunak will go head-to-head in a debate on the BBC before doing the same again on Tuesday on TalkTV.

Brown said: “Scotland faces the worst of both worlds with either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak as PM – we will either have Margaret Thatcher 2.0 or a Thatcher Mk. 2 in Downing Street.

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“The people of Scotland are looking on in despair that this is the best the UK can offer.

“They have presented nothing that suggests they will work in the best interests of the people of Scotland as they both continue to fall over each other in denying the democratic will of the people of Scotland to hold an independence referendum.”

Both candidates have also pledged to crack down on illegal migration in the coming months with both saying they would tighten British borders.

However, Truss and Sunak did trade blows over tax cuts and economic credibility.

Brown continued: “There is no possible win for Scotland in this contest, we can only lose.

“Whoever becomes PM will revert to type and impose brutal Tory cuts on households across the country during the worst cost of living crisis in living memory.

“Both served in Boris Johnson’s Cabinet and turned a blind eye to his lying and law-breaking, we will see no difference between the new prime minister and the old one.

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“It is clear that the only way the people of Scotland can escape the chaos at Westminster and endless Tory PMs that we did not vote for is by becoming an independent country.”

The winner of the Tory leadership election is set to be announced on September 5.