Something interesting is happening in the Scottish Conservative leadership election, and while I appreciate you might be sceptical about the juxtaposition of ‘interesting’ and ‘Scottish Conservative’, there is a certain dynamic at play. Unlike the race for UK Tory leader, the contest is not between left and right, for there isn’t really a right to speak of in the Scottish Tory party. Nor is it a battle between reform and the status quo, for all three candidates are chirping incessantly about ‘change’. The real dynamic is insiders versus outsiders.
I’ve written about this in an essay in the Mail today, but I think it’s worth fleshing out a little further. There are three candidates on the ballot: veteran MSP Murdo Fraser and newbies Russell Findlay and Meghan Gallacher. The contest is generally regarded as a straight fight between Fraser and Findlay, so that’s who I’ll concentrate on.
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