THE Scottish Tory MSP group was thrown into confusion by its own leader as Douglas Ross organised a reshuffle of his frontbench team, according to reports.
The Conservatives’ Holyrood group confirmed details of its reshuffle just after 11am on Wednesday.
The “Who we are” section of the Scottish Tory website, which details their MSPs and their roles, had been taken down in advance of the announcement.
Reports had been leaking about what to expect ahead of time.
According to The Times, the media learned of some of Ross’s planned manoeuvres before the MSPs affected did.
The reshuffle has seen loyalists to the current Tory leader moved into more influential positions, while those rumoured to be moving against him were shifted down the ladder.
Jamie Greene, one of those spoken about in rumours, has been removed from his justice spokesperson role and the frontbench altogether.
Stephen Kerr, who has announced a bid to be reelected to Westminster despite serving as an MSP, has also been removed from his position as education spokesperson.
Liam Kerr, who Humza Yousaf named in parliament as being one of the Tories looking to launch a leadership bid against Ross, was removed from his net-zero role and given the education brief.
And MP David Mundell (below) was made the chair of the Scottish Tories campaign coordination ahead of an expected General Election in 2024.
The Times reported that even Tory MSPs were unsure of their own jobs amid the reshuffle, with one telling that paper it was an "absolute f***ing shambles".
According to the Scotsman, there are suggestions within the MSP group that any threats to Ross’s position as Tory leader have subsided.
The new Scottish Tory frontbench team is as follows:
Leader – Douglas Ross
Deputy Leader – Meghan Gallacher
Party Chairman – Craig Hoy
Deputy Chairwoman – Pam Gosal
Chief Whip – Alexander Burnett
Deputy Chief Whip – Annie Wells
Spokesperson for Finance and Local Government – Liz Smith
Deputy – Pam Gosal
Spokesperson for Business, Economic Growth and Tourism – Murdo Fraser
Deputy – Brian Whittle
Spokesperson for Health and Social Care – Sandesh Gulhane
Deputy – Tess White
Spokesperson for Education and Skills – Liam Kerr
Deputy – Roz McCall
Spokesperson for Net Zero, Energy and Transport – Douglas Lumsden
Deputy – Graham Simpson
Spokesperson for Justice – Russell Findlay
Deputy – Sharon Dowey
Spokesperson for Social Security, Housing and Equalities – Miles Briggs
Deputy – Jeremy Balfour
Spokesperson for Rural Affairs and the Islands – Rachael Hamilton
Deputy – Jamie Halcro Johnston
Spokesperson for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture – Donald Cameron
Deputy – Alexander Stewart
Also, as the party prepares for the 2024 General Election, David Mundell MP has been appointed as "Chairman of Election Campaign Coordination".
Ross said: “I’m delighted to announce this new shadow ministerial line-up, which underlines the formidable talent and strength in depth among the team of Scottish Conservative MSPs.
“I would like to put on record my huge thanks to those who are stepping down from the team, or switching roles, for their sterling work.
“This is a key juncture in Scottish politics, and I’m convinced this new line-up will expose Humza Yousaf’s hopelessly divided and distracted SNP government."
