FROM time to time, the Scottish Conservatives like to pretend they care about working-class voters in Scotland. But the brass neck shown by Douglas Ross at last week’s Tory Party conference was something else.

Ross basically proclaimed that he was some kind of saviour of the poor in Scotland. He anointed the Scottish Conservatives as the party of the workers and declared that Nicola Sturgeon was out of touch with working-class voters compared to him.

The only thing Douglas Ross could possibly have in common with working-class people is that he also has three jobs – but even then, I doubt he is doing it to make ends meet or barely heat the house through winter.

If Douglas Ross was this Robin Hood character he is trying to portray, then why has he not completely condemned the cut to Universal Credit that was implemented this week?

On the same day he was giving insincere speeches about being in touch with working-class people he was also giving interviews defending the Universal Credit cut and somehow spinning blame on the Scottish Government for another mess that has been forced upon us by Westminster.

READ MORE: Tory MSP called out for claiming to 'lobby' against Universal Credit cut

While his bosses in London continue to smash Scotland’s working population to pieces with cuts, shortages, and tax hikes, it has never been clearer how high the stakes are.

It is easy for Ross and an array of bitter Unionist MSPs to spit venom at the SNP and the Greens in Holyrood every week. It really is tribal opposition for opposition’s sake, which serves no-one. However, it is especially rich when you consider how badly the UK Government is governing.

If you take the actions in the 150 days of the new Scottish Government and the array of policies and decisions that have been implemented to assist our working-class population, and you contrast this with the last 150 days under Westminster rule, the differences are there for all of us to see.

The Scottish Government has been implementing policies such as increasing Best Start Foods payments and increasing funding for the School Clothing Grant.

It has scrapped NHS dental charges for people under 26 and is bringing in free bus travel for under-22s.

READ MORE: Conservatives the ‘party of working Scotland’, Douglas Ross claims

The Scottish Government is going to double the Scottish Child Payment, a move that will drastically improve the health and wellbeing of many working families in Scotland. We are also exploring exciting policies and poverty-reducing mechanisms such as a four-day working week and a Universal Basic Income.

Roll down the road to Westminster and look at what it has achieved over the same time period and there is no question as to which is the more capable government and the one that is looking out for the people who need its help it the most.

Where do I start? We ended up seeing far more of Matt Hancock, the minister who was supposed to be presiding over the Covid crisis, than we wanted to see with his raunchy CCTV footage.

We’ve seen Covid contracts being dished out to Tory pals such as David Cameron. We have had Boris Johnson continue to bulldoze through his Brexit obsession regardless of the consequences, consequences which have seen us suffer fuel shortages, empty supermarket shelves and job and labour shortages.

We have Rishi Sunak building tennis courts and swimming pools at his house while telling us that furlough has to end and that Universal Credit needs to be cut.

READ MORE: Douglas Ross tells Tory conference he has 'no problem' bypassing Holyrood

Now we have Michael Gove coming up with buzzwords, such as telling us “levelling up” is great without telling us what it actually means.

Scotland Secretary Alister Jack highlighted to us all this week that he doesn’t even know anyone on Universal Credit. Perhaps one of his constituents could maybe enlighten him.

Remember that much of this is only events of the last 150 days. Add on to that the rape clause and the never-ending litany of cuts inflicted on the poorest in our society, and suddenly it becomes quite offensive for any Conservative to claim they are the party of the poor.

So, Douglas Ross can self-proclaim himself as a working-class hero all he likes but the people of Scotland know a pretender when we see one.