Tom Peterkin: Rift within Scots Tories deepens

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson. Picture: PA

Now all that David Cameron needs is for the troublesome sept of the party north of the Border to go into paroxysms over its leadership and direction once more. Yesterday, however, there was an untimely reminder of the fault line that runs through the Scottish Tories and has the potential to create problems for their leader Ruth Davidson.

“There’s been a Murdo,” was the DCI Jim Taggart-inspired cry of one journalist when he picked up a copy of yesterday’s Scotsman.

He was referring to the carefully-worded article written by Davidson’s former leadership rival Murdo Fraser carried in this paper.

Despite praising Davidson for appearing to embrace further devolution, Fraser’s polemic will have done little to reassure those in the party who still have reservations about Davidson’s leadership.

For her opponents outside the party, it was manna from heaven.

At First Minister’s Questions yesterday Davidson had a torrid time at the hands of Alex Salmond, who threw back Fraser’s contention that “it was a matter of debate as to whether the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party in its current manifestation is the best vehicle by which to promote centre-right political thinking in Scotland.”

Having quoted Fraser, Salmond signed off, saying: “With loyalties such as this within the backbenchers, I am surprised Ruth Davidson even bothers to ask me a question.”

Salmond’s put down may have been withering, but of arguably more importance to Davidson are the views of her party.

By harking back to his plans to rebrand the Scottish Tories and distance it from Cameron’s London-based party, Fraser was reminding the grassroots that his big idea is still on the table.

This is not particularly helpful for Davidson, even though Fraser took care to ensure that the main thrust of his article was the importance of the Tories recognising the need for more devolved powers for Holyrood within the Union.

As one Conservative privately put it yesterday, “the jury is still out on Ruth. It is very clear from the electoral cycle that we are not making progress. There is a quiet anxiety about picking up votes again.”

This Tory reckoned, however, that the Scottish party had been unified by the looming referendum. Despite lingering concerns over the leadership, the Conservative’s position was that now is not the time to rock the boat.

That offers a crumb of comfort to Davidson as she attempts to grow into the job. But how long it remains the prevailing view remains to be seen. Who knows what might happen should Fraser choose to commit some more “Murdos”?