Veteran Tory MSP calls for 'coronation' as candidates drop out of Scottish Conservative leadership race

Veteran Scottish Tory MSP Murdo Fraser has urged his two rivals for the party leadership to drop out of the race to allow him to be coronated uncontested, after nominations officially closed on Thursday.

Russell Findlay and Meghan Gallacher, who have both met the 100-nomination threshold to contest the leadership, were asked to pull out by Mr Fraser as he officially launched his campaign in Perth.

But with the first hustings set to take place on Saturday in Refrew, Ms Gallacher declared the party needed a contest. "It won't come as any shock that I intend to stand and win by restoring trust, giving members a voice, and focusing on bringing in the next generation of Scottish Conservatives,” she said.

Mr Findlay has also committed to contesting the leadership.

Just an hour before the deadline for nominations closed, both Tory MSPs Jamie Greene and Liam Kerr dropped out of the leadership race and endorsed Mr Fraser instead.

The pair walked in side-by-side with Mr Fraser to his campaign launch on Thursday morning. Their decision means there are now only three politicians still in the race.

Mr Greene said: “People may argue Murdo and I sit on monumentally different ends of the Conservative perspective. That remains to be the case, but that is how successful Conservative parties win elections and get into government.” Mr Greene added: “There is only one candidate with broad appeal who can deliver change, and I now support Murdo Fraser.”

Mr Kerr, who said he had received 120 nominations and therefore enough to run himself, added: “There is only one with the experience to deliver and friends, that is not me. In the eight years I have worked with him, I see Murdo shares my demand for vision, integrity and unity.

“I have withdrawn as a candidate and instead will devote myself to supporting the one remaining candidate which can deliver this vision.”

This comes after South of Scotland MSP Brian Whittle dropped out of the contest earlier this week and endorsed Mr Fraser.

Maurice Golden MSP, who had been backing Mr Kerr, is now also backing Mr Fraser. The Tory veteran and Scotsman columnist now has nine MSPs publicly backing him, including Liz Smith and Graham Simpson, who were also at his campaign launch.

During his speech, Mr Fraser said: “I say to both Meghan Gallacher and Russell Findlay, let’s bring this sorry chapter to a close. Come and join this team, show our members and the country that we understand their frustration, that we have responded to their deep concerns.

“There is far more that unites us than divides us. I have been really taken by Meghan’s pitch, particularly to women and younger voters, and admire her for the strong stance she took and leadership she showed against the Gender Reform Act.

“And I admire Russell for his campaigning on law and order issues, and for the way he has set out new policy ideas in the course of his campaign. We need all these talents to come together to take the party forward, so come and join me and my team.”

When asked by journalists if he wanted to see himself crowned as leader of the party, Mr Fraser simply said: “Yes.”

However, he won’t be getting his wish. Mr Findlay said: “I’ve always been opposed to a coronation, of myself or anyone else. I’m standing to give our members the fair and positive contest they deserve because our party must change.

“We need fresh ideas and a new approach. That’s why I’ve set out a positive Conservative vision with policies that champion aspiration, opportunity and decency. Our members should decide the next leader - not any small group of people at Holyrood.”

The statement comes as Mr Findlay admitted he was wrong to endorse Liz Truss as prime minister.

He said: “We all get things wrong - I got that wrong. Our number one job as Conservatives is to look after the country’s finances, to be responsible, and she didn’t do that.” Mr Findlay told the BBC: “I don’t think it is reasonable to think I could have foreseen how events transpired.”

At his campaign launch in Perth, Mr Fraser admitted he thought his “ship had sailed” on becoming party leader after losing out to Ruth Davidson back in 2011. But he said the Scottish Tories needed to change as a “matter of survival”.

He pointed to the party’s poor general election result, and said the Conservatives were victims of their own success by winning the independence debate back in 2014.

The Mid Scotland and Fife MSP also called out the party’s outgoing leader Douglas Ross, who has been accused of trying to abandon his post as MSP of the Highlands and Islands and regain a seat at Westminster.

Reports suggest Mr Ross was planning to return to Westminster and step down as party leader, and install Mr Findlay in his place. His deputy Ms Gallacher ended up resigning over the allegations.

Mr Fraser said: “Just last month we saw a general election where our vote share slumped to the lowest it has ever been in our party’s history. We have seen a fractious leadership contest so far, with persistent anonymous briefings against candidates, including me and my colleagues here.

“We have also seen concerning claims being raised about the conduct of the Scottish leader in relation to interference in at least two candidate selections. Our activists are angry, our members are angry, our MSPs are angry, and I am angry.”

Ballot papers will now be posted out to party members on September 4, with the ballot closing at midday on September 26. The winner will be announced the following day.

A series of hustings will be held across Scotland over the coming weeks, including in Perth, Inverness, Aberdeen, Galashiels, Dumfries and Edinburgh.

Party chairman Craig Hoy MSP said: “We now look forward to an open contest between the three candidates, giving them the opportunity to outline their vision and policies at hustings events to be held up and down Scotland over the coming weeks.”