Roz McCall is a Conservative and Unionist MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife.
A couple of weeks on from the general election. Barely time to take a moment to scrutinise the reasons behind our losses and we find the leadership contenders, both across the UK and in Scotland, are vying for position.
It’s true that when we look at seats retained, Scotland fared better than our colleagues in the rest of the United Kingdom. But the message from the public was loud and clear: “get your house in order!”
They were telling us that not only were we down, but we let them down. We did not do what we said we would and what they voted for.
Out on the campaign, Conservative voters were apologising that they would not be voting for us this time. Many stayed home on election day, some chose to protest vote, and some tactically voted because it was essential to ensure the SNP were finally held accountable for the disastrous way they have governed Scotland for the last 17 years.
For whatever the reason, we can safely say that the message to stand behind the Tories in this election simply did not cut through – and off the back of that, we find ourselves facing two concurrent leadership elections.
Personally, I would have preferred a sensible period of time to stop, listen and take stock of the next steps with a cool head. Unfortunately, here in Scotland, that hasn’t come about.
Almost immediately, the battle for the Scottish Conservative leadership hit the headlines, with campaigns utilising the press in the most obvious way.
Call yourself the front runner often enough, and hopefully you’ll become the front runner; bombard the newspapers with sufficient column inches, and other possible candidates announce early or reconsider standing; foist your vision publicly on Conservative voters, and eventually it may become their vision too.
Whilst this is a tried and tested way of setting out a political stall, it stifles the debate. It simultaneously reduces the number of voices and ideas being heard, whilst ensuring that the discussions and disagreements are held in a public forum – when sense dictates most of them should be hammered out in the relative safety of the Party structure.
And that’s exactly what happened. To ensure the so called “front runner” campaign didn’t gain accelerated traction, other candidates were forced to go to the press to voice their consideration of standing for the leadership too.
Then it’s game on. Subsequent press releases are scrutinised and publicly attacked. Battle lines are drawn, and the blue-on-blue infighting breaks out on the national stage. All of this before the Scottish Management Board has even finalised the process for the leadership election.
This is so disappointing and unnecessary. If we do not take proper stock on what happened and why, we are destined to repeat the same mistakes under a new leader.
We should be allowing our all our candidates a fair process so they can properly lay out their vision. That’s the only way to see if the varying options align with our own.
I want to see a solid plan for the Scottish Conservatives, one that defines what we stand for and how we will get that message across. I want us to reconnect with people right across the country, and build back the relationship with our membership.
I want to see policies that have people at their heart and the economy, self-empowerment, and sensible support at their foundation, so we can make peoples life easier, and a reworking of the party within this wonderful union of nations with a new, mutually beneficial relationship with the Westminster Party and our friends and colleagues across the four parliaments of the United Kingdom.
These are not impossible asks and our new leaders, both in Scotland and Westminster, should embrace them.
When Ruth Davidson became leader of the Scottish Conservatives in 2011 we were in a far worse position than we are now and she deserves credit for advancing the party to its position as the main opposition in the Scottish Parliament.
A young woman from a background that the public do not often link to Conservative values, she understood the importance of grassroots activism, and under her leadership no area was considered a no-go area. She knew that Scottish people are primarily conservative with a small “c” and that a broad appeal was essential, not only in policies and politics, but in personality.
Davidson took the Conservative message and connected it with the people. We must do that again. Scottish Conservatism might be down, but it’s certainly not out.
The Scottish Conservatives have the opportunity to reset after the general election. Every election is a chance to redefine our values, and our next leader must have the courage to look at everything – both policy and organisation – and come back with an offer to which the Scottish people can relate.
Roz McCall is a Conservative and Unionist MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife.
A couple of weeks on from the general election. Barely time to take a moment to scrutinise the reasons behind our losses and we find the leadership contenders, both across the UK and in Scotland, are vying for position.
It’s true that when we look at seats retained, Scotland fared better than our colleagues in the rest of the United Kingdom. But the message from the public was loud and clear: “get your house in order!”
They were telling us that not only were we down, but we let them down. We did not do what we said we would and what they voted for.
Out on the campaign, Conservative voters were apologising that they would not be voting for us this time. Many stayed home on election day, some chose to protest vote, and some tactically voted because it was essential to ensure the SNP were finally held accountable for the disastrous way they have governed Scotland for the last 17 years.
For whatever the reason, we can safely say that the message to stand behind the Tories in this election simply did not cut through – and off the back of that, we find ourselves facing two concurrent leadership elections.
Personally, I would have preferred a sensible period of time to stop, listen and take stock of the next steps with a cool head. Unfortunately, here in Scotland, that hasn’t come about.
Almost immediately, the battle for the Scottish Conservative leadership hit the headlines, with campaigns utilising the press in the most obvious way.
Call yourself the front runner often enough, and hopefully you’ll become the front runner; bombard the newspapers with sufficient column inches, and other possible candidates announce early or reconsider standing; foist your vision publicly on Conservative voters, and eventually it may become their vision too.
Whilst this is a tried and tested way of setting out a political stall, it stifles the debate. It simultaneously reduces the number of voices and ideas being heard, whilst ensuring that the discussions and disagreements are held in a public forum – when sense dictates most of them should be hammered out in the relative safety of the Party structure.
And that’s exactly what happened. To ensure the so called “front runner” campaign didn’t gain accelerated traction, other candidates were forced to go to the press to voice their consideration of standing for the leadership too.
Then it’s game on. Subsequent press releases are scrutinised and publicly attacked. Battle lines are drawn, and the blue-on-blue infighting breaks out on the national stage. All of this before the Scottish Management Board has even finalised the process for the leadership election.
This is so disappointing and unnecessary. If we do not take proper stock on what happened and why, we are destined to repeat the same mistakes under a new leader.
We should be allowing our all our candidates a fair process so they can properly lay out their vision. That’s the only way to see if the varying options align with our own.
I want to see a solid plan for the Scottish Conservatives, one that defines what we stand for and how we will get that message across. I want us to reconnect with people right across the country, and build back the relationship with our membership.
I want to see policies that have people at their heart and the economy, self-empowerment, and sensible support at their foundation, so we can make peoples life easier, and a reworking of the party within this wonderful union of nations with a new, mutually beneficial relationship with the Westminster Party and our friends and colleagues across the four parliaments of the United Kingdom.
These are not impossible asks and our new leaders, both in Scotland and Westminster, should embrace them.
When Ruth Davidson became leader of the Scottish Conservatives in 2011 we were in a far worse position than we are now and she deserves credit for advancing the party to its position as the main opposition in the Scottish Parliament.
A young woman from a background that the public do not often link to Conservative values, she understood the importance of grassroots activism, and under her leadership no area was considered a no-go area. She knew that Scottish people are primarily conservative with a small “c” and that a broad appeal was essential, not only in policies and politics, but in personality.
Davidson took the Conservative message and connected it with the people. We must do that again. Scottish Conservatism might be down, but it’s certainly not out.
The Scottish Conservatives have the opportunity to reset after the general election. Every election is a chance to redefine our values, and our next leader must have the courage to look at everything – both policy and organisation – and come back with an offer to which the Scottish people can relate.