Russell Findlay MSP announced today that he has won the support of all five Scottish Conservative MPs and two former Secretaries of State for Scotland.
Former Secretaries of State for Scotland, Lord Forsyth and David Mundell MP, have announced they are backing Findlay as well as current Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, John Lamont MP.
Findlay now has the support of all five Scottish Conservative MPs including Gordon and Buchan MP Harriet Cross, West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine MP Andrew Bowie and Dumfries and Galloway MP John Cooper.
Writing in today’s Mail on Sunday, Lord Forsyth said Findlay demonstrates “courage, competence, conviction and compassion” and “he offers the Tories a new way forward focussed on the real day to day concerns of every voter”.
Findlay has also won the support of 12 MSPs including Edinburgh MSPs Miles Briggs and Sue Webber, Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Alexander Stewart, Highlands and Islands MSP Tim Eagle, North East MSPs Tess White and Douglas Lumsden, Scottish Borders MSP Rachael Hamilton, Dumfriesshire MSP Oliver Mundell, Ayrshire MSP Sharon Dowey, West of Scotland MSP Pam Gosal, and Glasgow MSPs Annie Wells and Sandesh Gulhane.
Findlay has the backing of Dumfries & Galloway Council leader Gail Macgregor, South Ayrshire Council leader Martin Dowey.
He also recently won the support of Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party donors, Alasdair Locke, Alan Massie and Robert Kilgour.
David Mundell, former Secretary of Scotland for Scotland and current MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, said: “I’m backing Russell Findlay to get our party winning again across Scotland.
“We need someone who can stand up to John Swinney at First Minister’s Questions and reach out to voters who may have backed Labour or Reform or didn’t vote at the recent General Election.
“Russell has the life experience to be an effective leader and deliver the right kind of change that our party needs to succeed again.
“He would keep the party united and bring people together, just as he has in this contest by securing the support of our MPs, MSPs, councillors and grassroots supporters.”
John Lamont, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and Scottish Borders MP, said: “I’ve decided to support Russell Findlay to lead our party because he’s got the broad appeal to deliver election success.
“I was Ruth Davidson’s campaign manager in 2011 and I recognise a lot of the same strengths in Russell as she had. He’s positive, determined and he connects with people.
“Russell is not a career politician, that’s his great strength. But since becoming an MSP, he’s already achieved a lot by pushing the SNP to act and holding them to account on several justice issues.
“Russell can earn the trust of people across Scotland that our party must win over.”
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