COMMENTS made by the Conservative provost of Perth and Kinross were

used yesterday by the Scottish National Party as a stick to beat the

Conservative candidate as campaigning continued for the forthcoming

by-election caused by the death of Sir Nicholas Fairbairn.

The SNP claimed a leaflet distributed in the area at the weekend on

behalf of Mr John Godfrey was a clear attempt to make party political

capital out of the VE Day celebrations.

Extracts from the leaflet, according to the SNP, read: ''Monday is VE

Day. Britain will commemorate the victory over nationalism . . . Fifty

years on, we should take this opportunity to reflect on the fact that

Scotland achieves far more working in partnership with the rest of the

United Kingdom.''

However, SNP chief executive Michael Russell claimed a letter he

received from local Tory provost Mrs Jean McCormack, on the same day the

leaflet was being distributed, said she felt ''very strongly'' that the

celebration of victory in Europe 50 years ago should not be used for any

political advantage or be in any way associated with the forthcoming

by-election.

Mr Russell said: ''There is massive opposition -- including from the

Tory provost of Perth and Kinross -- to the Tories' disgraceful efforts

to appropriate VE Day for party political purposes.''

He argued that everyone except the Conservatives wanted to approach

the celebrations in a spirit of unity. ''That is how it should be,'' Mr

Russell said. ''But the Tories are spoiling this historic occasion for

everyone with their shameless politicking.''

Calling for the leaflet to be withdrawn, he added: ''It seems that

nothing is sacred to the Tories any more -- nothing is above their low

party politics.''

The clash of opinions over the monarchy in the by-election campaign

continued with a strong personal attack by Mr Bill Walker, Conservative

MP for North Tayside, on SNP candidate Roseanna Cunningham.

On Friday, the Tories described Ms Cunningham as a ''closet

republican''. She later said the monarchy was the ''pinnacle of the

class system''.

Mr Walker said yesterday he was ''appalled'' that the SNP candidate

saw fit to ''belittle our monarchy at this poignant time.

''We are not going to take lectures from someone whose formative

political years were not even spent in this country,'' the MP said,

referring to Ms Cunningham's claim that her republican views originated

from her time in Australia.

Mr Walker, pointing out that the monarchy existed long before

Australia was even discovered, argued that it represented ''the

cornerstone of our unwritten constitution and the foundation of our

parliamentary democracy.

''How dare she peddle her Australian republican sentiments, which even

she admits are not compatible with this deeply loyal constituency.''

The Tory MP's comments were described as ''outrageous'' by SNP deputy

leader Dr Allan Macartney, who said: ''According to Mr Walker, people

who were not brought up in this country have no right to express views

on its future.

''These are nasty, narrow-minded sentiments -- from an increasingly

nasty, narrow-minded party.''

Meanwhile, Shadow Scottish Secretary George Robertson, speaking at the

adoption meeting of Labour candidate George Alexander in Perth and

Kinross, said last week's local election results in England and Wales

had been an ''unmitigated disaster'' for the Tories.

''They are more than just a vote of no confidence in the Tories,'' he

said. ''They are a sign that people are turning to new Labour. All over

the country, people want to hear more about Labour. They will have that

chance in Perth and Kinross.''

Mr Robertson claimed the Tories were ''hopelessly out of touch with

the Scottish people''. While Labour already had detailed plans for a

Scottish parliament the Tories only policy on the constitution, he said,

was ''to do nothing''.

He said Labour's national team would publish six policy papers, on the

economy, health, crime, education, the information superhighway, and on

regional government, in the next three months. In Scotland, new Labour

would freshen up policies on housing, education, and health.