We don’t need new captain of this sinking ship

Scotland is dominated by a sterile conflict between two centre-left parties – Labour and the SNP – and I firmly believe that Scotland needs a strong, progressive, centre-right party to challenge this consensus.

However, in its current form, our party – the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party – is not fulfilling that role and it will never be able to promote effectively the values we stand for, the values which Scotland needs.

Why? Because we haven’t practised what we preach. We are a party which believes in devolving power to people. But we haven’t devolved power to ourselves.

We needed a distinctive Scottish identity in order to attract the votes of people who used to vote Conservative and have left us, of people who have never voted Conservative. But we didn’t have one.

It’s time to start again. I will transform the party into a new party for Scotland.

A new party, distinctly Scottish, standing up for Scottish interests. This is, in effect, going back to the situation that existed prior to 1965, when a distinct Scottish party sent many MPs to Westminster who took the Conservative whip.

The UK Conservative Party will benefit since there will be more MPs from Scotland supporting a future Conservative government.

Change is not an option but is a necessity.

And I don’t mean superficial change. A fresh, new captain of the sinking ship is not going to be enough. We need a new ship.

Of course, a new party is not sufficient in itself, but it is the crucial first step in building a new centre-right movement in Scotland, to encourage those voters who have left us to come back.

And to make voters who have never considered voting Conservative before to think: “Maybe next time.”

Einstein said that insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

It’s time to learn the lesson. It’s time to change.

It’s time for a new party for Scotland.

We don’t need new captain of this sinking ship – we need a new ship