THE deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives is open to Nigel Farage rejoining her party – as she stressed that the Tories are a “broad church”.
However, the chairman of the Scottish Tories, Craig Hoy, later disputed this suggestion.
Meghan Gallacher, who is an MSP for the Central Scotland region, was being quizzed on the BBC amid the wait for results of the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.
The Tories – represented by candidate Thomas Kerr – were expected to lose their deposit in the seat vacated as a result of the recall petition that ousted Margaret Ferrier.
Gallacher’s comments came after both Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and party deputy chairman Lee Anderson said they were open to Farage joining the Conservatives, as the party ramps up its anti-immigrant rhetoric.
The former Ukip leader was in attendance at the Tory conference in Manchester.
At the by-election count in Hamilton, a BBC reported grilled Gallacher, saying: “Something else that came out of the [Tory] conference – the idea of Nigel Farage coming back into the fold. Would you be comfortable with that?”
Gallacher replied: “That’s just conversational – that’s nothing that’s been confirmed.”
The reporter replied: “Would you be happy with that?”
“It’s conversation for conversation’s sake, it’s not something that’s been confirmed,” the Tory MSP said.
“For me, I’m very much focused on what the Scottish Conservatives are doing and what we’re promoting to the people of Scotland and focusing on Scotland’s real priorities.”
She was pressed one more time, asked: “You’re not given an answer to that would – would you be happy to be in the same party as him?”
Gallagher said: “Well, we’re a broad church. We are a broad church and we’ve always been a broad church of conservatives, so as I said my focus is definitely here in Scotland as deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives and that’s certainly where my focus will be.”
Scottish Tory chairman Hoy, who was also appearing on the BBC's by-election coverage, disputed the suggestion that Farage could rejoin the party.
Farage, a former MEP who led Ukip and the Brexit Party, quit the Conservatives in 1992 after the Maastricht Treaty heralded a “new stage in the process of creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe”.
Gallacher’s language echoed that of her party leader.
Speaking to GB News, Sunak said: “Look, the Tory party is a broad church. I welcome lots of people who want to subscribe to our ideals, to our values."
