Scottish Tory leadership race not a ‘particularly happy experience’, Fraser says

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

The Scottish Conservative leadership contest has not been a “particularly happy experience”, one of the three MSPs vying for the job has conceded.

Veteran MSP Murdo Fraser said while the three contenders to succeed Douglas Ross as Scots Tory chief “have got on well”, there had been “blue-on-blue attacks” during the contest.

Mr Fraser said: “It is some of the supporters in the background who have been indulging in things.”

His comments came as rival leadership candidate Meghan Gallacher alleged a “senior member” of the Tories had been calling party members to suggest she was going to pull out of the race.

Ms Gallacher insisted this was “completely untrue”, telling a hustings on Wednesday she was “deeply disappointed that had happened”.

She cited this as an example as why she was not “engaging in blue-on-blue” attacks on her fellow candidates – Mr Fraser and the current Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Russell Findlay.

Ms Gallacher said she knew who was behind the phone calls, although she refused to name the person responsible at the hustings events, which was organised by the Holyrood Sources podcast.

It took place on the same day that ballots to elect the new Scottish Conservative leader started going out to party members across the country.

Mr Fraser said of the leadership contest: “I don’t think it has been a particularly happy experience for some of us. I think there has been a lot of blue-on-blue attacks.”

Speaking about the possible impact on the party, he added: “As we know from history, civil wars are always the bloodiest.”

However, Mr Findlay – regarded by some as the favourite to succeed Mr Ross – said he was proud the three candidates are all “out there, making a pitch, engaging  with members”.

The former journalist turned MSP said: “The democratic process within the party is alive and kicking, and long may that continue.

“I am absolutely proud of the campaign I have conducted.

“I am incredibly proud so many parliamentary colleagues have seen the positive message and supported me, and members across Scotland.”

During the hustings, Mr Findlay said he would “absolutely” have Mr Fraser and Ms Gallacher in his frontbench team if he becomes party leader.

Meanwhile, Mr Fraser said with the Tories currently having 31 MSPs at Holyrood, everyone should have a frontbench role.

“I don’t think we should have backbenchers at Holyrood,” he said.

“Let’s give everybody a job, let’s give everybody a role, let’s make them feel part of a team.

“People should be part of a team, they should be given roles, not just left sitting out there in the cold.”

Ms Gallacher, meanwhile, stressed that when the leadership contest is over the Tories must become a  “strong united team”.

She said: “We’ve got talent right throughout our MSP group but, as Murdo said, they are not being utilised just now, so let’s utilise them.”

Mr Fraser also said if he became Scottish leader and Kemi Badenoch wins the contest to be the next UK Tory leader, he would “seriously publicly disagree” with her on devolution.

Scottish Tory MP Andrew Bowie, who is backing Ms Badenoch to take over from Rishi Sunak, said she would challenge the narrative that “further devolution is inevitable” and would “not fail to step in when she sees decisions being taken she knows will harm Scots and our country”.

Mr Fraser said: “I would publicly disagree with Kemi Badenoch on that, even if she became Conservative leader in the UK.”

Ms Gallacher said: “I’ve not spoken to Kemi about it, but if I win, and if Kemi wins, that would be the first thing I would be speaking to her about.”

She said she was backing Tom Tugendhat to be the next Tory leader, with both Mr Fraser and Mr Findlay not publicly declaring their support for any one candidate.