Leader: Support for the man – but not for his key policy

When Annabel Goldie announced back in May that she would be stepping down from the leadership of the Scottish Conservatives in Holyrood, few imagined the contest would result in much excitement.

Instead, it is turning into a sinewy, engrossing and at times vituperative four-way contest, with initial favourite Murdo Fraser continuing to attract big-gun support in the face of fighting performances from Ruth Davidson and Jackson Carlaw.

Mr Fraser has received qualified but important backing from the former Scottish Conservative leader David McLetchie. He now has the support of the majority of Tory MSPs, with ballot papers due to be sent out to party members next week.

Mr McLetchie is a respected voice in the party, whose pawky wit has helped to en-liven a Conservative attack that has often been leaden and lacking in flair. While endorsing the candidate who served a ten-year apprenticeship under him, Mr McLetchie’s statement carefully put some distance between his support and his embrace – or lack of it – of the proposal to create a separate, new centre-right party in Scotland. Mr Fraser, he said, “needs to provide hard evidence of new supporters from the ranks of those who share our values and agree with us on many policies but presently decline to support us”.

Mr McLetchie, it seems, is not yet convinced there is the compelling support within the ranks this plan really needs. If Mr Fraser turns out the victor in a close result, that might encourage the traditionalists to make a last stand.