Alex Salmond claims third scalp as Annabel Goldie quits as Scots Tory chief

Published on Monday 9 May 2011 19:06

ANNABEL Goldie has become the third Scottish party leader to quit in the aftermath of the SNP's sweeping victory in last week's Holyrood elections.

The Scottish Conservative leader's shock announcement came after a meeting with MSPs at Holyrood yesterday. She had indicated on Friday that she intended to stay on.

Deputy leader Murdo Fraser quickly emerged as front-runner for the post but said he would discuss it with colleagues and family before making a decision.

A Tory leadership contest was already looming as part of a shake-up of internal structures, after a review earlier this year by former minister Lord Sanderson.

Ms Goldie said: "I believe that the time has come for the torch to pass and I can confirm that I will not be a candidate.

"There are four years until the next UK general election, and five years until the next Holyrood contest. I want my successor to have the maximum time for him or her to shape the party and its policies and to lead the opposition at Holyrood. For the sake of clarity, I will remain as leader of the MSP group until my successor takes over, and I will, of course, remain as an MSP for the duration of the parliament."

The number of Tory MSPs was reduced from 17 to 15 at the election, with finance spokesman Derek Brownlee among those to miss out on a return to Holyrood.

The result led former Tory adviser Paul McBride, QC, to call for a radical rethink of the leadership, although many Conservative supporters believe the party weathered the mass shift to the SNP better than its political rivals.

Prime Minister David Cameron thanked Ms Goldie for her performance in the job. "She has done a great job and I pay tribute to the way she fought the campaign for the Scottish Parliament," he said.

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"Annabel will continue to be a formidable presence as an MSP, for when she speaks it isn't just for the Scottish Conservatives but also for Scotland, and people sit up and listen."

He went on: "Although I'm saddened that she's stepping down, she can be proud of the job she's done and I wish her well for the future."

Mr Fraser, who served as her deputy for the past six years, said he was considering whether to stand.

"It's too early for me to make a commitment either way," the Mid Scotland and Fife MSP said. "What I'll be doing is discussing the matter with family and colleagues before I take any decision."

But he said he hoped more then one candidate entered the race. "That is the way to have a correct debate about the future direction of the party, not just the personality of the leader but where we go from here," he said. "So I think its absolutely essential that there is a contest."

He also paid tribute to Ms Goldie's performance as leader, saying: "I'm proud to have been Annabel's deputy for the past six years. When she took over the leadership of the party, it was in a fractious state.

"Not only was she successful in bringing the party together, but she has led the MSP group very effectively in the Scottish Parliament, particularly over the past four years."Former leader David McLetchie ruled himself out of taking on the job again. The Lothians MSP said he would wait to see who stands before choosing who to endorse.

"I think if Murdo put his hat in the ring, he will be a strong contender and would certainly be a favourite to win, given the support he has in the party as a whole and the service that he has rendered to date," Mr McLetchie said.

"Anyone else then does have to make an assessment if they can beat him if he does step forward."

He added: "Annabel has done an outstanding job as leader of our group in the parliament over the last six years and showed her mettle in the recent election campaign where her forthright common sense style won many admirers and much respect."

Ms Goldie is a former solicitor who became the first woman to lead the Conservatives at Holyrood in 2005. An MSP since 1999, she led the party to 17 seats in the Scottish Parliament in the 2007 election, and she had hoped her message on "common sense" would deliver more this year.

She held a group meeting at the Scottish Parliament before announcing her decision in a statement released by the party. Sources insisted it was her own decision to go.

She said: "The Scottish election result was seismic. Nobody, not even Alex Salmond, thought that the SNP would win an overall majority at Holyrood.

"I am, of course, disappointed that the Conservatives are returning to the parliament with two fewer MSPs than last time, but I am heartened by the observations of many independent commentators that our result was, by comparison to the other opposition parties, credible.

"As a party, I believe that we ran the right campaign. We focused on trying to maximise our votes on the regional list.

"Unlike others, we had a narrative of common sense, telling it like it is, and a record of delivering for Scotland. But being the least worst was, in the end, not good enough."

Born and raised in Renfrewshire, where she still lives, Ms Goldie failed to win the Renfrewshire North and West seat in the election last Thursday, finishing third behind the SNP and Labour. She returned to Holyrood on the West of Scotland regional list.

During this year's campaign she appealed to voters to look to her record in opposition over the past four years.

She claimed credit for helping policies such as the council tax freeze and the hiring of extra police officers pass through Parliament.

She had positioned herself as best able to hold the balance of power with a minority administration - a scenario wiped out when the SNP scored its historic majority.

First Minister Alex Salmond said: "I hold Annabel in the very highest personal regard - she has a great sense of humour and a good outlook on political life.

"Annabel acquitted herself very well in the recent election and, although her party lost ground, I believe they would have lost more had she not been leader.

"I will miss Annabel's distinctive style at First Minister's Questions in particular."

On Friday, Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray became the first of the opposition leaders to quit when the scale of his party's defeat became clear. He will remain in charge until the autumn. He said yesterday: "I disagree vigorously with Annabel Goldie about many things, but she has been an energetic leader of her party and, on a personal level, I wish her well for the future."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott announced on Saturday that he was to resign with immediate effect.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats suffered a disastrous election, losing all of their mainland seats and returning only two constituency MSPs in Orkney and Shetland and three through the regional lists.

Mr Scott said: "Annabel Goldie has epitomised a different point of view and different way of expressing that point of view during her time as leader of the Scottish Conservatives. I wish her well for the future."

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