Line drawn in the sand

Jackson Carlaw, above with Annabel Goldie, has served the Tory party for a quarter of a century and his former posts include chairman of the Scottish Young Conservatives, board member of the UK Conservatives, deputy chairman of the Scottish Conservatives and health spokesman in the previous Scottish Parliament.

The 52-year-old MSP for the West of Scotland was elected to Holyrood in 2007 and currently holds the transport brief.

Expected to carry plenty of membership support, allies say he will stand as the “this far and no further” candidate, arguing that the current mix of powers between Holyrood and Westminster is the right one.