Is Russell Findlay the Kemi Badenoch of Scotland?

When Russell Findlay stood to be Scottish Conservative leader, he talked the familiar language of ‘change’. I predicted that this would translate to a rightwards shift for the party and his first major speech in the job confirms it. Findlay is not entirely comfortable with the ‘right wing’ label – he is a Tory, after all – but it is the readiest descriptor of the positions he is setting out.

Since he took over in September, the Tories have become the only party in the Scottish parliament to oppose free bus travel for asylum seekers, additional aid for schools in Africa and early prisoner releases to tackle overcrowding. Findlay says:

Left-wing parties at Holyrood point to our opposition to the mass early release of hundreds of prisoners. When our concerns are perfectly normal around most kitchen tables. Commentators criticise our supposed right-wing view that the Scottish government should fix Scotland’s schools before sending millions for education in Africa.