First hustings event for Scottish Tory leadership candidates
It's being held in Renfrew today
The three candidates in the Scottish Conservative leadership election are set to take part in their first hustings event.
MSPs Russell Findlay, Meghan Gallacher and Murdo Fraser will face questions from Tory members during the event in Renfrew today.
There will be eight hustings around Scotland, with one taking place online, in the coming weeks.
Current leader Douglas Ross announced his intention to step down from the role during the General Election campaign.
Nominations for the leadership race have now closed and ballots will be sent to members on September 4, with the winner being announced on September 27.
Three MSPs have secured the nominations needed to run for the Scottish Conservative leadership and succeed Douglas Ross.
Russell Findlay, Murdo Fraser and Meghan Gallacher will take part in their first hustings event on Saturday as Tory members prepare to choose the new leader.
All three have promised to revive the fortunes of the Tories north of the border, after the party's vote share at the General Election slumped to half what it was in 2019.
Ballots will be sent to members on September 4 and the new leader will be announced on September 27.
Here are some key facts about the contenders.
- Russell Findlay
Russell Findlay, 51, is the party's justice spokesman at Holyrood and was first out the gates to announce his candidacy.
As one of the 2021 entrants to Holyrood, he has challenged the Government on a number of issues around crime and justice, campaigning which has boosted his profile in Scottish politics.
His supporters are keen to highlight his past career as an investigative journalist working to expose organised crime.
In 2015 he suffered an acid attack on his doorstep but fought back and was able to pin down his assailant until police arrived.
After setting out policies on lowering tax, overhauling the education curriculum and reducing red tape, he launched his campaign in Glasgow with a pitch for party unity, saying the Scottish Tories must not "turn inwards" or split from the party south of the border.
Reports suggest those at the top of the party, including Mr Ross, would prefer to see Mr Findlay in the leadership.
- Murdo Fraser
Murdo Fraser, 58, is the longest-serving Tory MSP, having been in Holyrood since 2001.
At his campaign launch in Perth, two other leadership contenders - Jamie Greene and Liam Kerr - dropped their own bids to instead back him. Brian Whittle, another early leadership challenger, had already done the same.
Mr Fraser has called on his remaining opponents to join his team, essentially seeking for the race to become a coronation.
He said change is a "matter of survival" for the Scottish Conservatives and that the party had been let down by the leadership.
The Mid Scotland and Fife MSP ran unsuccessfully against Ruth Davidson for the party leadership in 2011, suggesting at the time the Scottish Tories should break away from the party south of the border.
He is no longer in favour of such a move but is promising an independent commission to examine the party's future.
Nevertheless his past views on the party's structure, along with his vote against gay marriage in 2014, are likely to feature during the upcoming debates.
- Meghan Gallacher
Seen as a rising star in the party, Meghan Gallacher, 32, entered Holyrood for the first time in 2021.
The Central Scotland regional MSP said she offers a "new beginning" for the Tories north of the border.She was deputy leader from 2022 until August this year, when she quit citing a potential "reputation" risk to the party from the alleged conduct of Mr Ross.
She said she was "deeply troubled" at reports that Mr Ross had asked a Westminster candidate if he could replace her in July 2023 - something he has denied.
Ms Gallacher has spoken of growing up in a predominantly left-wing community, being introduced to conservative ideas through her grandmother.
Her dissertation at the University of the West of Scotland was on the decline of the Conservatives from Margaret Thatcher to the present day and the impact of Ruth Davidson.
She was a frequent critic of the SNP and Scottish Greens' plans for gender recognition reform, voting against the Government's Bill on the issue at Holyrood despite being on maternity leave at the time.
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