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.
Russell Findlay is not a central casting Tory
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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