New Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay promises to 'change' party

Newly-elected Scottish Conservative person Russell Findlay has said his enactment volition alteration successful bid to "win backmost nationalist trust".

The erstwhile writer comfortably defeated his Scottish Parliament colleagues Murdo Fraser and Meghan Gallacher successful a ballot of enactment members.

The contention followed the resignation of Douglas Ross, who announced mid-way done the wide predetermination run that helium was lasting down arsenic Scottish leader.

Findlay said helium would question to correspond those who are "scunnered" with the "fringe obsessions of the Scottish Parliament" and consciousness that politicians bash not recognize the concerns of mean voters.

The caller person has been an MSP for the West of Scotland since 2021 and was the party's justness spokesman.

His predetermination came aft an occsionally bad-tempered campaign, with complaints from 1 of the candidates astir enactment interference successful the contest.

A full of 4,155 radical voted retired of a full of 6,941 eligible enactment members, a turnout of 60%.

Findlay received 2,565 votes, Fraser 1,187 and Gallacher 403.

The caller person said the enactment indispensable travel unneurotic arsenic "one agreed team" aft what helium called a bruising period.

"Let america commencement the hard enactment close present to triumph backmost nationalist trust," helium said.

"I privation to present the connection to radical crossed Scotland who bash not consciousness that anyone represents them, who are scunnered by the divisiveness and fringe obsessions of the Scottish Parliament, who consciousness fto down and failed by politicians of each azygous party, including ours, who deliberation politicians are each the same.

"I consciousness that mode - I get it, but I'm not the same."

Findlay said the enactment would alteration nether his leadership.

"We volition enactment hard to gain your spot by doing things differently," helium said.

"We volition beryllium a dependable for decent mainstream Scotland and the values of hard work, self-reliance, and worth for taxpayers."

He said voters wanted to spot "common consciousness for a change" and that helium was determined to present it.

The party's caller person present faces a engaged fewer days.

A ceremonial to people the 25th day of devolution is being held astatine the Scottish Parliament connected Saturday, with Findlay owed to marque a code earlier the King and Queen.

He volition past request to caput to the Conservative Party league successful Birmingham, wherever helium volition undertake a fig of engagements.

Appointments of his frontbench squad are expected to instrumentality spot adjacent week.

His opponents rapidly congratulated him connected societal media.

Murdo Fraser said helium looked guardant to moving with Findlay "to present the alteration that our enactment and Scotland needs".

"Now is the clip to unite arsenic a squad and determination guardant together," helium said.

Meghan Gallacher said the rank had "spoken resoundingly" and that the enactment had to unite up of the adjacent Holyrood election.

However, SNP MSP Kevin Stewart said "the look of Tory authorities successful Scotland" whitethorn present person changed, but accused Russell Findlay of having nary "desire to basal up for Scotland’s interests".

He said: "The Tories caput into their enactment league wholly divided and distracted by infighting.

"They person yet managed to swap retired 1 of 2 lame duck leaders - but defeated Rishi Sunak is inactive pulling the strings until November, arsenic what feels similar the longest enactment contention successful past rumbles on."

Scottish Labour's lawman leader, Dame Jackie Baillie, said this year's predetermination had shown that voters wanted change.

"Rearranging the deckchairs volition bash thing to halt the Tories' downward descent aft 14 years of letting Scotland down.

"The Tories inactive beryllium Scots an apology for gambling with families' savings, crashing the system and sending bills soaring portion putting enactment earlier country."

The enactment predetermination was triggered erstwhile Douglas Ross announced helium was lasting down arsenic person pursuing his determination to contention the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East spot astatine Westminster, replacing erstwhile MP David Duguid, who was recovering from a spinal stroke.

The determination angered MSPs and enactment members aft Ross had antecedently said helium would basal down from Westminster to absorption connected Holyrood.

He was forced to denote successful the midst of the wide predetermination run that helium would discontinue arsenic person aft polling day.

Speaking connected the BBC's Good Morning Scotland vigor programme connected Friday, predetermination adept Prof Sir John Curtice said the run had been "fractious", aft a play erstwhile the enactment had seen its enactment falling away.

"We're talking astir a enactment that has got conscionable implicit 12.5% of the ballot successful the wide election, its worst show ever," helium said.