Scots Tories have been warned any plan to split from the UK party would see an exodus of members and donors.
MSP Murdo Fraser is considering standing in the forthcoming leadership contest with a renewed bid to split from the Conservative party south of the Border.
But the proposal faced a growing backlash within the party yesterday amid concerns it will see support lost to rivals such as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Mr Fraser was also warned by a key financial backer from his unsuccessful 2011 leadership bid that the party is ‘better together’.
Russell Findlay, who is the early favourite to become the next Scottish Tory leader, wrote in the Mail that the Conservatives can have a ‘fresh start’ by setting out a ‘positive case for a modern, popular conservatism’.
The Scottish Conservative party management board met last night to discuss the election campaign and the leadership contest.
Former Tory MP and MSP Ross Thomson said: ‘It is really tiresome that we are back to this again: bleating on about separating the party in Scotland, despite the whole idea being dismissed by the membership when Murdo stood for the leadership of the party.
‘Quite simply, it is unacceptable to the members, they do not want it, and I think there is just a bit of arrogance to continue to advocate that idea that somehow the party is going to be more electable being separate.’
He said that the Scottish Tories can have a ‘distinct identity’ but it is ‘out of touch’ to think separation will boost election prospects.
Mr Thomson added: ‘Quite frankly, voters don’t care what the structures of the Scottish Conservative party are.’
The Scottish Tories fell from six MPs to five in Scotland following last week’s election. The decline in seats and vote share was less severe than across the UK.
Liz Smith, the Scottish Tory finance spokesman who backed Mr Fraser’s leadership bid in 2011, when he lost to Ruth Davidson, told the Daily Telegraph he ‘probably will stand’ again and that ‘a separate party has to be part of the mix’.
She said: ‘There is a very strong case for a centre-right Conservative party in Scotland with its own principles and its own identity.’
A Tory source said: ‘Splitting the party could be very risky with a Scottish parliament election less than two years away and Reform already trying to take centre-right votes.
‘But Murdo has been planning “The Caledonians”, his proposal for a new party, for more than 14 years. He will presumably have a detailed plan on how to prevent our members, supporters and donors from going in different directions and avoid the Conservative party tearing itself apart.’
Care home entrepreneur Robert Kilgour, a key financial backer of Mr Fraser’s 2011 campaign, said: ‘My immediate instinct these days, post-2011, is that we are better together.’
Douglas Ross announced his intention to resign as leader after a backlash over his decision to stand as candidate for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East instead of David Duguid, who was recovering from a spinal illness.
Scottish Tory chairman Craig Hoy has not ruled out standing, while Maurice Golden has said he is ‘weighing up’ whether to put his name forward.
Former justice spokesman Jamie Greene is another potential candidate.
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