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.
Dame Maggie Smith, known for her roles in Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, has died at the age of 89, her sons have said.
The actress died in hospital, her children Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens said.
In a statement, they said: “An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.
“We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”
Born in Essex in 1934, Dame Maggie became an internationally recognised actress – one of the most versatile, accomplished and meticulous actresses of her generation.
Her first significant accolade came after playing the fanatical teacher in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie in 1969, which won her a best actress Oscar and BAFTA.
Her second Oscar came for her role in California Suite in 1978 which won her a best supporting actress trophy, as well as a Golden Globe.
Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley in the Downton Abbey movie (2019). Pic: Focus Features/Kobal/Shutterstock
More recently she won a new generation of fans as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, in Downton Abbey and playing Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies.
Although she was a tour de force in leading roles on the West End stage, she was equally happy – even during the years of her mega-stardom – to accept supporting roles, particularly in films.
Dame Maggie played Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films. Pic: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc/Alamy
The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie (1969). Pic: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock
The Downton Abbey TV series won her a series of awards – three Emmys, a Golden Globe, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards.
TV presenter Gyles Brandreth has led the tributes, describing her as “wise, witty, waspish, wonderful” and “one of a kind in every way”.
Sir Keir Starmer posted on X that Dame Maggie was a “true national treasure whose work will be cherished for generations to come” while former prime minister Rishi Sunak described her as “an icon of the stage and screen”.
Meanwhile a message posted by BAFTA said: “Dame Maggie was a legend of British stage and screen, winning five BAFTAs as well as a BAFTA Special Award and BAFTA Fellowship during her highly acclaimed career.”
She took Maggie as her stage name because another Margaret Smith was active in the theatre. She was 18 when she first appeared on stage, in Twelfth Night.
Laurence Olivier spotted her talent, invited her to be part of his original National Theatre company and cast her as his co-star in a 1965 film adaptation of Othello.
She played Mother Superior alongside Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act (1992). Pic: Touchstone/Kobal/Shutterstock
Judi Dench and Maggie Smith in A Room With A View (1986). Pic: Everett/Shutterstock
She starred alongside Richard Gere in The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015) Pic: Moviestore/Shutterstock
Some of her best-known movies included: Young Cassidy in 1966, Death On The Nile in 1979, Quartet in 1982, The Secret Garden in 1994, Tea With Mussolini in 2000, Gosford Park in 2002, and The Lady In The Van in 2016.
She married fellow actor Robert Stephens in 1967. They had two sons and divorced in 1975. The same year she married the writer Beverley Cross, who died in 1998. She was made a Dame in 1990.
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UK
UK weather: Met Office issues 185 warnings for flooding as M5 motorway closed and drivers abandon cars
More than 180 flood warnings and alerts are in place across England this morning after days of heavy rain – forcing the closure of a motorway as drivers abandoned their cars.
The Met Office said northern and central parts of England and Wales had been hit hardest, resulting in widespread travel disruption across Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire and the West Midlands.
As of this morning, the Environment Agency had 66 flood warnings in place across England, meaning flooding is expected, and 119 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible.
A new yellow weather warning for strong winds was later issued for the south west of England and Wales on Sunday.
The yellow weather warning for strong winds on Sunday. Pic: Met Office
Disruption is likely as winds strengthen from west to east during Sunday, with gusts of 50-55 mph likely in places, exceeding 60mph in the most exposed areas.
The Met Office said this would be accompanied by outbreaks of rain, heavy at times, which could lead to some surface water and spray.
An earlier yellow rain warning for large parts of England and Wales ended at 9am this morning, with a separate amber warning for areas of the Midlands and south expiring at 6am.
Meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said localised flooding would continue despite the warnings ending.
Check latest weather forecast where you are
He said: “A lot of these areas have been hit by rain in the past few weeks, which means the ground is already saturated.”
While the Met Office expects the weather to “ease up and become a bit drier”, some areas will still be dealing with the aftermath of the heavy rain.
“Rivers often take time to respond, so we’re expecting disruption to continue in central and southern parts throughout the morning. Those planning to travel on Friday should factor this into their journey times,” Mr Dewhurst said.
Commuters faced significant disruptions this morning, with heavy rain and flooding causing problems to roads and rail services.
Rail services between Shrewsbury in Shropshire and Wolverhampton in the West Midlands were cancelled, with disruption expected all morning, after severe flooding at Wellington station and a tree on the line.
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Images posted on social media showed tracks at a train station in Shropshire completely submerged and abandoned cars on an empty motorway in Gloucestershire.
Avon Fire and Rescue also said this morning that it was rescuing people stranded on the M5 in Gloucestershire, which remains closed northbound between junction 16 and junction 14 because of flooding.
The motorway had reopened southbound between J14 and J15, but hour-long delays and up to four miles of congestion were still expected in both directions.
One football club has appealed for help getting their grounds “straightened up and dried out” after heavy rainfall on Thursday evening.
Non-league team AFC Telford United in Shropshire posted photos and videos on social media of significant flooding at their pitch and gym facilities.
Councils and emergency services in Northamptonshire and Hertfordshire said several roads had to be closed but reassured residents they were working to keep people safe overnight.
Tewkesbury Borough Council, in Gloucestershire, has been handing out sandbags to residents to help protect their homes against flooding.
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The rain will ease this afternoon and is set to usher in much colder conditions on Saturday, the Met Office said.
Meanwhile, Oxford residents were subject to even stranger weather when a tornado-like feature was spotted in the sky on Thursday.
A funnel cloud seen outside Oxford on Thursday afternoon. Pic: Ana Cavey
The Met Office believes it is a funnel cloud, which can become a tornado if the bottom of the structure makes contact with the ground.
Pic: Ana Cavey
Several other funnel clouds have been reported to the Met Office in various locations this week, it said.
St Mirren defender Shaun Rooney has been charged with assaulting a woman as well as a breach of the peace against a man in a Glasgow city centre takeaway.
The Scottish Premiership side announced on Thursday the 28-year-old had been suspended on a “precautionary basis” after he reported the alleged incident to his bosses.
In a statement, the Paisley club vowed to “undertake a full investigation” and said it would be making “no further comment during this process”.
On Friday, Police Scotland confirmed Rooney had been arrested and charged and is due to appear at the city’s sheriff court at a later date.
The force said: “A 28-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with an assault on an 18-year-old woman and a breach of the peace against an 18-year-old man in takeaway premises on Queen Street, Glasgow, in the early hours of Thursday 19 September 2024.
“He was released on an undertaking to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court at a later date.
“A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”
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Rooney began his career in the youth set-up at Dundee United and has played for a number of teams including Dunfermline Athletic, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and St Johnstone.
He returned to Scottish football this summer following a two-year contract with Fleetwood Town in Lancashire, England – where former Celtic captain Scott Brown was manager for a spell.
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