Tory battle starts with increasing bitterness

SCOTTISH Tory leadership contender Margaret Mitchell has attacked her rival Murdo Fraser’s proposals for a new breakaway centre right party as “absolute madness”.

The attack from Ms Mitchell, whose candidacy came late, came as it emerged that all four hopefuls have won enough backing to stand in the increasingly bitter contest to replace Annabel Goldie.

Ms Mitchell, Scottish party deputy leader Mr Fraser, transport spokesman Jackson Carlaw, and Glasgow list MSP Ruth Davidson have all received the required 100 nominations to take part in the official contest, which starts with a hustings in Inverness today.

West of Scotland MSP Mr Carlaw denied that his vote would be squeezed by Ms Mitchell’s last- minute candidacy and revealed that former Tory Scotland Office minister Allan Stewart and ex-Scottish MPs Michael Hirst and Raymond Robertson are among his backers in the party.

Meanwhile, Ms Mitchell said Mr Fraser’s campaign for a Scottish split from the UK Tories had been raised “out of the blue”.

Ms Mitchell also promised that a key plank of her campaign would focus on opposition to the Scotland Bill’s proposals to create a power to vary tax by 10p – a move she described as “crazy” and one that will lead to a hike in taxes for Scots. She said: “It’s absolute madness to talk about renaming the party and it couldn’t come at a worse time.

“He [Mr Fraser] has introduced this out of the blue, as he’s been the deputy leader for a while. It would be so divisive and smacks of political misjudgment. He’s made a grave mistake.

“The Scotland Bill is creating a Scottish taxpayer for the first time with a 10p additional rate. It’s a crazy idea that people are having thrust upon them.

“I never wanted to be leader, but no-one came forward with a view about the 10p tax rate so I took soundings and made the decision that I have.”

However, Mr Carlaw, who has positioned himself as an opponent of extending Holyrood’s powers beyond the Scotland Bill, dismissed Ms Mitchell’s campaign platform of opposition to the tax raising powers as a distraction. He said: “The key issue is not the Scotland Bill, it’s opposition to Alex Salmond’s independence campaign.”

Mr Fraser said that he “very much welcomed” Ms Mitchell’s candidacy, but called for a healthy debate during the leadership election.

Ms Davidson said: “I look forward to putting forward my case, my vision for the party and to vigorous debate with my three fellow contenders.”

Meanwhile, a poll by Conservative website Tory Hoose of 655 people showed 46 per cent support for Mr Murdo Fraser, 44 per cent for Ms Ruth Davidson and 11 per cent for Mr Carlaw. It was conducted before Ms Mitchell announced her plans to stand.