THE Scottish Conservatives have descended into yet more in-fighting after Ruth Davidson backed Russell Findlay to lead the party and took aim at his opponents.
Writing in the Scottish Daily Mail, Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links criticised leadership candidate Murdo Fraser's plan to stage a commission on the party’s future.
The former leader claimed that the idea was a "Trojan horse" to split the Scottish party from its UK counterpart.
“At its very core, our party is based on the principle that we achieve progress, prosperity and security by working across the whole United Kingdom," she said.
"It’s what makes us Unionists.
“So we must put this plan for a party-splitting ‘commission’ back in its box, nail down the lid and get back to the job of building our party up, not breaking it up.”
Davidson then backed Findlay for the leadership, claiming he has a "natural understanding of the concerns of mainstream voters".
She added that the success the party achieved under her leadership, when Tories became the largest opposition party at Holyrood, was down to three things – “a good team, good communication of a positive message, and bloody hard work”.
However, she claimed the lessons of her leadership had not been taken forward.
“I find it a bit depressing how the lessons of those years of progress seem to have been forgotten by some of my former colleagues at Holyrood," she added.
“Where has the positivity gone? Where is that uplifting message of hope? What happened to that spirit of teamwork?
“I want what’s best for the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party that I was so proud to lead, so proud to serve and so proud to help rebuild.
“I want to see it undergo the same renewal we accomplished after 2011 and go on to achieve even greater success.
“But that can only happen if our members – both elected and from the grassroots – pull together and work as a team.
“And that team can only be built if it is led by the right person, with the right ideas and the right values. The values of decent, hard-working, law-abiding, community-spirited, mainstream Scotland.
“I am convinced that person is Russell Findlay. It’s why I have chosen to support him in his campaign to be elected as our next leader.”
Yet allies of Murdo Fraser have spoken out against Davidson's article, saying she is "misrepresenting" Fraser's position on splitting from the UK party.
Tory MSP Brian Whittle said: "I have so much respect for Ruth but I am disappointed to see her perpetuate this untruth.
"I have been very clear I want closer ties with our colleagues in Westminster and wouldn’t support any attempt to split.
I feel this article misrepresents my colleagues - five of the other leadership candidates - who agreed to a commission to review how we are set up and organised as a Party and report back to the membership. Nobody is proposing a separate party; there is no Trojan horse. https://t.co/CATIDYUj63
— Stephen Kerr MSP (@RealStephenKerr) September 5, 2024
"This is no way to conduct this contest."
Meanwhile his colleague Stephen Kerr added: "I feel this article misrepresents my colleagues – five of the other leadership candidates – who agreed to a commission to review how we are set up and organised as a party and report back to the membership.
"Nobody is proposing a separate party; there is no Trojan horse."
