Tories ready to ditch Goldie as leader, claims ousted MSP

"Some of her [Goldie's] senior colleagues and their staff are already murmuring about her apparent lack of enthusiasm for the role and some are already calling privately for her resignation after next year's Holyrood elections, unless she is able to increase the number of MSPs into the 20s. If she refuses to go, a number of senior party colleagues are taking steps to force a challenge." - BRIAN MONTEITH

Story in full SENIOR Scottish Conservatives rallied round Annabel Goldie last night to fend off claims from a former colleague that her leadership is under threat.

Brian Monteith, the Independent MSP and a former finance minister for the party, hit out at Ms Goldie's "apparent lack of enthusiasm" for the role of leader.

He said party members, disappointed at Ms Goldie's failure to capitalise on the "Cameron effect", were ready to oust their leader if she does not reform the party in time for next year's Holyrood elections.

However, Bill Aitken, the chief whip of the Scottish Parliamentary group, dismissed the claims as "utter balderdash".

A UK poll yesterday put the Tories on 38 per cent, six points ahead of Labour on 32 per cent with the Liberal Democrats on 20 per cent.

Much of the surge is due to the new leader of the UK Tory party, David Cameron, with 45 per cent favouring him as prime minister over 34 per cent for the Chancellor, Gordon Brown.

However, a poll north of the Border a month ago revealed the Scottish Tories are backed by just 14 per cent of voters, which would translate to just 17 seats in the Scottish Parliament.

The Scotsman has revealed also, that there are grumblings among party activists. Mars Goodman, a former deputy chairman of the Scottish Conservative Party, has described the way the party is being run as "sheer lunacy" and said that, as a result, there were many good candidates who were not being given a chance to become MSPs.

She is among a number of Tory activists calling for the current MSPs to be deselected in favour of a more dynamic crop. In a newspaper column yesterday, Mr Monteith added his voice to the dissent. He resigned from the Scottish Tories shortly before Ms Goldie became leader in November 2005 after being accused of disloyalty for briefing against her predecessor, David McLetchie.

He said the Scottish Tories' "detachment from reality and unwillingness to change direction" while the UK leader Mr Cameron is "leaving no stone unturned to reposition his party" has pushed many in the party to "give up".

He wrote: "Some of her [Goldie's] senior colleagues and their staff are already murmuring about her apparent lack of enthusiasm for the role and some are already calling privately for her resignation after next year's Holyrood elections, unless she is able to increase the number of MSPs into the 20s. If she refuses to go, a number of senior party colleagues are taking steps to force a challenge."

Murdo Fraser, the deputy leader, is the most likely successor. Other potential candidates include Jackson Carlaw, a car dealer standing next year for the West of Scotland region, the area Ms Goldie currently represents.

However, Mr Aitken said that, as chief whip, he is unaware of any dissent and insisted the party is stronger than ever. "This is utter nonsense," he said. "Annabel Goldie has the complete confidence of the group. We are also optimistic about the results of next year's election and anticipate an increase in our numbers. These comments are simply just balderdash."

Mr Monteith also wrote of a need for the party to be open to coalition with other parties in next year's election in order to take forward issues such as greater fiscal autonomy.

He wrote: "The dying Tories must change or become extinct. By so doing, they will again be taken seriously by the Scottish people and can offer a genuine alternative to the old unionism of Labour."

A spokesman for the Scottish Tories said the party would only enter into an informal coalition over certain issues.

He added: "Brian Monteith is not even a member of the party and at times seems more interested in his journalistic career than serious politics."

Traditional face of the party

ANNABEL Goldie, 56, is the traditional face of the Scottish Conservative Party.

Educated at Greenock Academy and trained as a lawyer at Strathclyde University, she is still a sleeping partner in a Glasgow law firm.

She was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999 and subsequently became deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives as well as speaking on the Economy, Justice and Home Affairs.

In November 2005 she was elected as Scottish Tory leader after former leader David McLetchie resigned over his taxi expenses.

However, with young blood David Cameron shaking up the party down south, she faces a tough few months before the Scottish elections.