Scots party split deepens as Fraser no-show snubs speech by MP Mundell attacking rebranding vision

Mr Fraser last night denied that he had failed to show up for a speech by Scotland Office minister David Mundell, after the minister had attacked his vision of replacing the Scottish Conservatives with a new party.

There were also claims that Mr Mundell, who said he would always run under the Scottish Conservative and Unionist banner whatever the result, had been forced by the party UK leadership to tone down his speech, in which he had planned to endorse Mr Fraser’s main rival Ruth Davidson.

Instead, Mr Mundell said: “As our only Member of Parliament in Scotland, I have clearly set out my own personal views this morning.”

However, he accepted that there needed to be change for the Conservatives north of the Border. He said: “I don’t think anyone within or outside our party in Scotland would disagree with the statement that the party must change, and we must attract more, and younger people to vote for us across Scotland as a whole.”

Mr Fraser said he missed the speeches because of a prior family engagement.

His no-show also meant he missed the final speech to a UK conference by outgoing leader Annabel Goldie, who received a standing ovation as she hinted that she planned to play a leading role in the campaign to save the Union.

Ms Goldie said “Scotland faces its most important choice in 300 years” with the independence referendum and warned the conference that it had a fight on its hands.

She mocked SNP First Minister Alex Salmond for being “too big for his boots” and pointed out that he had recently said he would like to be known as “Your High Excellency”.

She said he should be known as “the great pretender”, because “he is very fond of pretending everything would be just dandy if only”.

Political opponents mocked the divisions within the Tories and warned there was “no silver bullet” to revive the party’s fortunes in Scotland.

Labour shadow Scottish Secretary Ann McKechin said: “This in-fighting is a gross betrayal of the millions of Scots facing a quiet crisis at home of frozen wages and spiralling costs of living.”

SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson added: “Under the UK Conservative-led government Scotland is at risk.

“Our public finances are at risk by spending cuts being imposed too far and too fast. Scotland’s future finances are at risk from ill-thought-out Scotland Bill taxation proposals.Our public-sector workers are at risk from a cash grab on their pensions by Tory Chancellor George Osborne, and our maritime safety is at risk by Tory cuts to our Coastguard services.” DAVID MADDOX