Tory challenger

The four-horse race for the leadership of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party is almost over. The result will be announced on Friday and most of the votes will already have been cast.

Thanks to Alex Salmond and his plans for an independence referendum, the defining issue of the Conservative leadership campaign has been defence of the Union.

As committed Unionists, party members will have wanted to know which of the four contenders had the strongest argument for stemming the separatist tide.

There can be no doubt that Jackson Carlaw and Margaret Mitchell are staunchly pro-Union, but the question is whether that passion alone is enough to block the Salmond sledgehammer.

Murdo Fraser is less tainted by the past, but his proposal to abolish the party and start afresh with a new centre-right movement is misguided for no other reason than it will simply be too late to stop the Nationalists in their tracks.

Ruth Davidson represents a complete break from the past. Critics say she is too young and inexperienced to lead the party. However, what she may lack in political practice she more than makes up for in fresh thinking and courage to square up to Salmond.

Her idea of saying “Yes” to the Union while allowing the Nationalists to be the party always saying “No” – promoting the Union first ahead of any argument against independence – shows a political maturity and clear understanding of what is required effectively to challenge the Nationalists in the constitutional debate.

Allan DS Smith

Markinch

Fife