Russell Findlay replaces Douglas Ross as new leader of the Scottish Conservatives
Russell Findlay has been elected the new leader of the Scottish Conservatives.
The MSP saw off competition from Murdo Fraser and Meghan Gallacher in the bruising battle to replace Douglas Ross.
Mr Findlay won with 2,565 votes on a turnout of 60%. Mr Fraser placed second with 1,187 votes, while Ms Gallacher claimed third with 403 votes.
The announcement comes ahead of the UK Conservative Party revealing Rishi Sunak’s successor on 2 November.
Ms Gallacher, Mr Fraser and Mr Findlay on Friday. Pic: PA
Following his win, Mr Findlay said he “greatly” respected and valued Mr Fraser and Ms Gallacher.
He added: “Now, everyone in our party must come together as one united team.
“Let’s start the hard work right now – today – to win back public trust. And I want to deliver a message directly to people across Scotland who don’t feel anyone represents them.
“Who are scunnered by the divisive policies and fringe obsessions of the Scottish parliament. Who feel let down and failed by politicians of every party – including ours.
“Who think politicians are all the same. If you feel that way, I get it. But I am not the same. I’m not a career politician.”
Mr Findlay said he understood voters’ “frustration”.
He added: “Under my leadership the Scottish Conservatives are going to change. We will work hard to earn your trust by doing things differently.
“We will be a voice for decent, mainstream Scotland and for the values of hard work, self-reliance and fairness for taxpayers.
“We’ll spend all our time and energy on your concerns, your hopes and your needs.
“We know you don’t expect miracles from politicians. We know you just want some common sense, for a change. And we are determined to deliver it.”
Mr Findlay after his win on Friday. Pic: PA
Mr Findlay has been the MSP for West Scotland since 2021 and is currently the party’s justice spokesperson at Holyrood.
He has worked as a journalist for STV News, the Scottish Sun and the Sunday Mail.
His investigation into the disappearance of Margaret Fleming was used to help prosecute her killers.
As an author, Mr Findlay has written books on gangland crime and was the victim of an acid attack in 2015 when an assailant appeared on his doorstep disguised as a postman.
In 2017, the attacker was handed a 15-year extended sentence, with 10 years in jail and five years on licence once released back into the community.
Mr Findlay with supporters at his leadership campaign launch. Pic: Dave Johnson
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Six Scottish Tory MSPs initially announced bids to succeed Mr Ross, who will continue in his role as MSP for the Highlands and Islands.
Douglas Ross. Pic: PA
Brian Whittle, Liam Kerr and Jamie Greene dropped out of the race ahead of the ballot and threw their support behind Mr Fraser.
Mr Findlay, Mr Fraser and Ms Gallacher each secured the 100 nominations required to continue and took part in hustings across Scotland as they sought to convince party members why they were the best person for the job.
During his campaign launch, Mr Fraser called on Mr Findlay and Ms Gallacher to drop their bids and join his team – essentially coronating him as leader.
Mr Fraser with supporters at his leadership campaign launch. Pic: PA
In response, Mr Findlay said he’d always been “opposed to a coronation, of myself or anyone else”.
He added: “Our members should decide the next leader. Not any small group of people at Holyrood.”
Mr Findlay, who received the backing of former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, was regarded by some as the favourite to replace Mr Ross.
During the competition, MSP Mr Kerr apologised after branding ally Mr Fraser’s leadership campaign as “awful”.
In a series of posts accidentally published as status updates to his WhatsApp profile, Mr Kerr criticised Mr Fraser’s bid despite publicly backing him.
“I’m beginning to wish I’d nominated Meghan,” Mr Kerr wrote, in reference to Ms Gallacher.
Ms Gallacher. Pic: PA
The contentious contest also saw former deputy leader Ms Gallacher lodging a complaint to the party against Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk MP John Lamont.
Following a call between the pair, Ms Gallacher was said to have been concerned she would be deselected ahead of the Holyrood election in 2026.
Mr Lamont, who backed rival Mr Findlay, strongly denied any wrongdoing and said he was “considering further action including legal options”.
Mr Findlay is expected to unveil his frontbench team at Holyrood next week.
Ahead of that, he will deliver a speech during Saturday’s celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the Scottish parliament.
And on Sunday, he will be on stage at the UK Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.
Nigel Farage has told Sky News he “can’t be pushed or bullied” by anybody after Elon Musk said the Reform MP “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead his party.
In an interview with Sky’s political correspondent Ali Fortescue, Mr Farage said he has spoken with the billionaire owner of X since his criticism on 5 January, when Mr Musk said: “The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.”
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Asked if the pair are still friends, Mr Farage said: “Of course we’re friends. He just says what he thinks at any moment in time.”
He added he has “been in touch” with Mr Musk, though wouldn’t divulge what they had discussed.
“Look, he said lots of supportive things. He said one thing that wasn’t supportive. I mean, that’s just the way it is,” Mr Farage said.
Musk and Farage met in December. Pic: PA
Asked if he was afraid to criticise the tech mogul, the Clacton MP said the situation was “the opposite”, and he openly disagreed with Mr Musk on his views on far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Mr Farage said: “What he [Musk] was saying online was that effectively Tommy Robinson was a political prisoner and I wouldn’t go along with that.
“If I had gone along with that, he wouldn’t have put out a tweet that was against me.
“By the way, you know, I can’t be pushed or bullied or made to change by anybody.
“I stick to what I believe.”
Mr Musk has endorsed Robinson and claimed he was “telling the truth” about grooming gangs, writing on X: “Free Tommy Robinson”.
But Mr Farage said that Robinson, who is serving an 18-month jail term for contempt of court, isn’t welcome in Reform UK and neither are his supporters.
He said: “If people within Reform think Tommy Robinson should be a member of Reform and play a central role in Reform, that disagreement is absolutely fundamental.
“I’ve never wanted to work with people who were active in the BNP. I’ve made that clear right throughout the last decade of my on/off political career. So that’s what the point of difference is.”
Despite their disagreement, Mr Farage said he is confident Mr Musk will continue to support Reform and “may well” still give money to it.
The entrepreneur has previously spoken positively about Reform UK and there have been suggestions he could make a multi-million-pound donation in its favour.
Devolution plans ‘denial of democracy’
Mr Farage was speaking from Reform’s South East of England Conference, one of a series of regional events aimed at building up the party’s support base.
Elsewhere in the interview, he hit out at the Labour government’s devolution plans which could see some local elections scheduled for May postponed.
This would apply when councils seek permission to reorganise, so that smaller district authorities merge with other nearby ones to give them more sway over their area.
Mr Farage, who is hoping to make gains in the spring contests, claimed the plans are not about devolution but about “elections being cancelled”.
“I thought only dictators cancelled elections. This is unbelievable and devolution or a change to local government structures is being used as an excuse,” he said.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage earlier this month. Pic: PA
He claimed Tory-controlled councils are “grabbing it like it’s a life belt”, because they fear losing seats to Reform.
“It’s an absolute denial of democracy,” he added.
Mr Farage was also asked why many Reform members don’t like to speak on camera about why they support his party.
He said he did not accept there was a toxicity associated with Reform and claimed there was “institutional bias against anybody that isn’t left of centre”.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and divers have been dispatched to find two sisters who vanished in Aberdeen three days ago.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV in the city’s Market Street at Victoria Bridge at about 2.12am on Tuesday.
The siblings were captured crossing the bridge and turning right onto a footpath next to the River Dee in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Police Scotland has launched a major search and said it is carrying out “extensive inquires” in an effort to find the women.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Local officers, led by specialist search advisors, are being assisted by resources including police dogs and our marine unit.”
Aberdeenshire Drone Services told Sky News it has offered to help in the search and is waiting to hear back from Police Scotland.
CCTV of the sisters. Pic: Police Scotland
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The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Police said the Torry side of Victoria Bridge where the sisters were last seen contains many commercial and industrial units, with searches taking place in the vicinity.
The force urged businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review CCTV footage recorded in the early hours of Tuesday in case it captured anything of significance.
Drivers with relevant dashcam footage are also urged to come forward.
CI Bruce added: “We are continuing to speak to people who know Eliza and Henrietta and we urge anyone who has seen them or who has any information regarding their whereabouts to please contact 101.”
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