RUMOURS have been fuelled of a split between the UK and Scottish Tories as a senior Scottish Conservative is set to compare notes with a federalised German party.
Murdo Fraser, who previously campaigned to be Scottish Tory leader on a platform of splitting from the Westminster party, is heading a delegation to Germany for discussions with leaders of a regional right-wing party.
The trip has renewed speculation of a Tory split as Fraser will spend five days as a guest of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), which has a coalition with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU).
The two German parties are separate entities with different leaders and policies but are engaged in an alliance referred to as “the Union”. Despite the CSU taking a more conservative approach to social matters than its larger counterpart, the two form a shared group of MPs in the Bundestag.
However, the CSU only contests elections in Bavaria while the CDU fields candidates in the other 15 German states.
Fraser said the visit would help the group consider the “future direction of the Scottish Conservatives”.
And the federal model between the two German parties has been proposed as a potential system for Tories in Scotland and England.
“We are very much looking forward to comparing notes with our fellow Conservatives from Bavaria and seeing what lessons we can learn from them about the future direction of the Scottish Conservatives,” Fraser said.
The German model could offer the solution to concerns voiced by Fraser when he previously claimed that right-of-centre voters in Scotland wouldn’t vote Conservative because of the actions of Tories in Westminster.
He lost the Scottish Tory leadership election in 2011 to Ruth Davidson on a platform of splitting from the English Tories.
And differences between the two sects have again been brought to the fore as current Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross lodged a vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson, following a series of flip flops on supporting the Prime Minister’s position.
SNP MSP Rona Mackay said: “The Scottish Tories want to escape Boris Johnson and Westminster control so desperately that they are willing to learn how to do that from the CSU.
“Despite being eager to get rid of Boris Johnson, the Scottish Tories still expect the people of Scotland to accept him as Prime Minister. It is incredibly ironic that they want to become independent themselves, but will not support Scotland becoming independent itself.”
Tory delegates on the trip include Jackson Carlaw, Rachael Hamilton, Liz Smith, Graham Simpson, Jeremy Balfour and Alexander Stewart. SNP MSPs Fiona Hyslop and Colin Beattie will also be there.
The Scottish Conservatives said: “This cross-party group trip will see MSPs from all parties discuss different policy approaches with their colleagues.”
