Russell Findlay becomes Scottish Tory leader

The first of two Conservative leadership contests has concluded and today it has been announced that the new leader of the Scottish party is Russell Findlay. The former crime journalist was widely seen as the party establishment favourite after former leader Douglas Ross announced he would be resigning from the post in June. Now Findlay faces the rather daunting prospect of reuniting his group after months of bad briefings mired the race in scandal. Best of luck…

Ross stepped down after losing the support of his colleagues when he ousted ill colleague David Duguid in the Westminster parliamentary selection process. Not long after the ex-party leader had announced he would be standing in the Aberdeenshire North and Moray West constituency, Ross made another announcement – that he felt it wasn’t ‘feasible’ to stand as both an MP and an MSP, as well as party leader. How curious. The move prompted a leadership contest that would run parallel to the UK party’s race but conclude slightly earlier at the end of September.