Tories ‘rooting for you to win’, Humza Yousaf tells Kate Forbes in SNP debate

Health secretary said Forbes had given our opponents so much ammunition' after she criticised his track record in government

Humza Yousaf has told Kate Forbes that the Scottish Tories are rooting for you to win so that your words are on every single leaflet", as the first UK-wide televised debate between SNP leadership contenders saw further clashes between the frontrunners, while polling for the Channel 4 hosts suggested the contest remains too close to call.

Referring to heated exchanges at first minister's questions earlier on Thursday, when Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross jeered that finance secretary Forbes had torched" the Scottish government's record, Yousaf said: What unfortunately happened in the last TV debate, Kate, was that you essentially gave our opponents so much ammunition to attack us with."