In a few months time, I will be asked to cast my ballot in Parliament, for the candidate I want to be Leader of the Official Opposition.
Then, along with all other members of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, I will be asked to choose who should lead our party into the next half of this decade- not just at Westminster, but equally as important, at Holyrood.
It is a solemn and serious task to have been set. Electing both the leader of the Official Opposition for the UK, and of the largest opposition party in Scotland.
It is a privilege to have a vote in both contests. A say in the direction, not just of our Scottish Party, of Scottish Conservatism, but also the wider, British party as we look to the future and re-build following a bruising election defeat earlier this month.
We need two contests that focus on what conservatism means and will mean in a Scotland clearly turning the page on nearly two decades of SNP failure. The discussion must be about the ideas, policies and vision that we have for our future- not just about opposing, but also about what we offer the families, communities, businesses for too long have ignored and overlooked by a Scottish Government focussed on their own divisive agenda.
If we get this right in Scotland, the Scottish Conservatives can be the party of unity – not just of our place in the United Kingdom, but of a Scotland, too long riven with division and hate, ready to move on.
But we cannot have that debate- we cannot credibly claim to the be the party of unity over division, the party of people and country over politics- if we ourselves become bogged down in the perennial question of whether the Scottish Conservatives should break away from the wider UK Party.
I am proud to be a Scottish Conservative. We have a long history of standing up for the centre ground, for the forgotten regions of Scotland, for businesses, for our rural communities and our urban workers. We do this with the confidence that comes from having the autonomy to set an agenda for Scotland, in Scotland. A leader, picked by Scottish members. Principles, set by our team in Holyrood in consultation with our councillors and members across the country. Policies chosen, adopted and argued for by our MSPs, free from interference or influence from anyone else.
We do that from within our wider Conservative and Unionist family.
The British Conservative and Unionist Party is the oldest and most successful political party in the world. It has influence and voice that is listened to and respected. Yes, we suffered a defeat a few weeks ago, but we can look to our record, and our history, with pride. And to our future as an effective opposition and prospective Government in waiting, with hope and optimism.
Why would we, as Scottish members of that wider family, throw that away? Why would we throw away our voice, our influence- indeed, our votes.
The practical issues with such a proposal are numerous. Would Scottish Tory MPs take the Conservative Whip? Would Scottish Tory MPs sit in Cabinet/Shadow Cabinet? Would they ever seriously consider withdrawing support for a Conservative Leader? In which case, what is the point of them being a separate party at all? All of these are serious questions that need answered before you even begin looking at the practicalities and financing of a separate party. And after all that, be under no illusion, to the vast majority, we’d still be “The Tories”.
And whilst we were this internal fight, learning nothing from recent events that show quite conclusively that voters don’t take kindly to internal party politics distracting from the issues that they want their politicians to be focussing on, the big questions of what does Scotland need, what is our vision for our country, what policies will mark us out as Scottish and Conservative and how do we win people to that cause, remain unanswered.
That’s why I’m proud to back Russel Findlay for Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party. As he set out in the Mail yesterday, Russel wants to appeal to aspirational Scots, to those people who hold conservative values but don’t vote for us. His appeal to us to be pro-opportunity, pro entrepreneur, pro worker as we support businesses create the jobs of the future, to be the party of “…aspirational in its character and for encouraging a society which respects and rewards individual effort and initiative,” is what we need as we look to dislodge the SNP from power and move Scotland forward.
We can do this within our wider UK Party. A seat at both tables. A voice in London and Edinburgh for communities and individuals too long ignored by the SNP and disregarded by Labour.
I am confident in our future. I believe we will effectively take the fight to Labour at Westminster and set out a compelling, new vision for an alternative government at Holyrood. I believe we can only do this from within our wider UK Conservative Party. And I believe we do this with Russel Findlay as our Leader.
Article published in the Daily Mail, 23/07/2024
