Alex Salmond will be accused of “talking Britain down” today when Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson addresses delegates at the party conference in Manchester.
Ms Davidson’s turn on the main stage will come almost immediately before Prime Minister David Cameron.
She is expected to say: “It’s Alex Salmond who talks Britain down, saying Scots are desperate to leave. Well, I’m telling you now don’t believe it.
“When it comes to this issue, Alex Salmond doesn’t speak for a majority of Scots. In fact, he never has.”
Ms Davidson will hammer home the Tories’ “unselfconscious” love of the UK as she urges members to play an active part in the campaign against independence.
She will also emphasise the permanency of the outcome of next September’s vote and tell delegates: “The Union is in our DNA.”
“This referendum decision isn’t the same as an election. If we don’t like the result, we can’t just come back in five years’ time and vote again.
“It is a choice that is vital and is binding. And while everybody understands why this matters to Scotland, I want to stress its importance to the rest of the UK and why, as Conservatives, we are leading the fight to keep our country together.”