New Tory backer

Alister Jack, who made around £54 million selling two storage businesses, said that “significant sums of money” would be in place if Fraser gets a mandate to go-ahead with his plans for a new party by being elected leader to succeed

Annabel Goldie. Fraser hopes that the promise of cash will ease concerns that a break-away Scottish party, free from the UK Conservatives fund- raising machine, would struggle to finance itself.

Jack was vice-chairman of the Scottish Conservatives in the William Hague era and stood as a candidate during the 1997 wipeout in Scotland.

Last night, Jack said: “The simple thing is that everyone’s concerns about Murdo’s plans would be whether he would get enough support to get the party off the ground – seed capital if you like.

“For years, the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party has needed someone to take the bull by the horns and tell us how to sort ourselves out. In Murdo, we have him.

“I have spent this week in conversation with a number of other individuals from the business community who are very excited about a stronger centre-right political force that will stand up to the SNP and which will have low taxation and decentralisation at its heart. I have given Murdo my assurance that significant sums of money will be in place if he wins this leadership election. I’m completely confident that we can raise more money for the new party than SCUP has raised for many years.”

He added: “Murdo is the right man for the job. We need a business-friendly, countryside friendly party in Scotland. We shouldn’t be frightened of stepping out on our own.”

Jack has also won support from other Scottish business leaders including Andrew Dalrymple of Aubrey Capital Management and John Dodds of Artemis Alpha Trust.

Jack, from a Lockerbie farming family, co-founded the Field and Lawn marquee business and built up the Aardvark and Armadillo storage firms, which he sold a few years ago.

Fraser was also encouraged by an intervention by David Cameron’s former press secretary George Eustice, MP for Camborne and Redruth. In PR Week, Eustice described Fraser’s proposal as an “audacious plan” that could create a “more vibrant and successful” party.

Fraser said: “I am delighted to have another endorsement for the new party concept from a prominent Conservative figure from south of the Border.”

Their contributions came as around 200 Scottish Conservative members met at Perth airport and “overwhelmingly” approved a new constitution after a review of the Scottish party by the Tory grandee Lord Sanderson of Bowden. He recommended there should be a “distinct political leader of the Scottish Conservative Party”.