LABOUR’S vice chair in Stirling has thrown his weight behind Ruth Davidson, saying the Tories are the only party “that will stand up for Scotland”.

In a scathing letter to the Stirling Observer, Alistair Weir, an ex-miner and long-serving stalwart of the party, said politics in Scotland was no longer between left and right, but between “those of us who wish to remain part of the United Kingdom and those who want independence at any cost”.

The veteran said he felt “horror and disgust” when Stirling’s four Labour councillors formed a coalition with the SNP to run the local authority.

He wrote: “I am aware I will be disciplined by the Labour Party because of this letter but sometimes you have to put your country and principles first.

“As one of only two miners left on Stirling Constituency Labour Party who was on strike for 56 weeks at Polmaise Colliery it pains me to say, the actions by the members of the Labour Group prove beyond a doubt that the only party that will stand up for Scotland is Ruth Davidson’s Conservative Party.”

He added that he was “not the only one” in the local constituency party to recognise that.

The National understands that Labpour leader Kezia Dugdale has not yet suspended Weir from the party.

The SNP’s Steven Paterson who hopes to hold on to the Stirling Westminster constituency in tomorrow’s vote, said: “The fact senior Labour figures are actively supporting the Tories in Stirling should come as no surprise as this is happening across the country.

“The fact they are doing so with impunity shows that Kezia Dugdale has no authority over her party.

“Labour would rather see the Tories increase their majority in this election than work to ensure progressive voices are elected to Parliament to stand up for Scotland.

“That is a shocking betrayal of the values that they claim to represent.

“It is vital that those who want to see a progressive opposition to the Tories unite behind the SNP in this Thursday’s election.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Tories said: “This is a pattern we’re seeing right across the country.

“If Labour want to suspend every pro-UK member, they’ll have hardly any membership at all.”

Scottish Labour declined to comment.

Last month Dugdale suspended the party’s nine councillors in Aberdeen after they formed a coalition with the Tories.