Meghan Gallacher giving 'serious consideration' to leadership bid

Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party Meghan Gallacher MSP. Image: PA

Meghan Gallacher is giving “serious consideration” to launching a bid to become the next leader of the Scottish Conservatives, we can reveal.

The party’s deputy boss confirmed she is sounding out members as senior figures privately mull over whether to run to replace Douglas Ross.

It comes as allies of Russell Findlay, the Scottish Tories’ justice spokesman, and business spokesman Murdo Fraser talk up their chances of taking the reins.

Many in the party believe the time is right for a battle of ideas over its future direction.

A rising star in party

Gallacher, 32, has been deputy leader for more than two years and is seen as one of Holyrood’s rising stars.

She told The Sunday Post: “I’m weighing things up, probably like everyone else right now, sounding out the members and seeing what their thoughts are.

“I am giving it serious consideration as to whether or not it’s something I’ll put my name forward to when the time comes.

“I’m definitely giving it some serious thought right now.”

Party insiders hope Gallacher would have a similar galvanising effect as Ruth Davidson, who took over as leader just a few days short of her 33rd birthday in 2011.

Ruth Davidson addresses the 2014 Scottish Conservative Party conference at the Edinburgh International Conference Center in Edinburgh. Image: PA

Her leadership would focus on the cost of living crisis, including support for parents and giving pensioners security in later life.

However, she would not back calls for the Scottish party to split away from the wider UK Conservatives to form a new centre-right group.

That is the policy allies of Murdo Fraser believe he will adopt, in a repeat of the campaign he ran in 2011 when he lost to Baroness Davidson.

Scandals could see push to de-toxify brand

Supporters believe events such as Boris Johnson’s partygate scandal and the short-lived Liz Truss premiership have breathed new life into the proposal.

The Scottish Tories held five of the six seats they won at the 2019 general election but there is alarm that the party vote share almost halved to just 12.7%.

Tory MSP Murdo Fraser. Image: Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament.

Fraser is believed to be on a family holiday but is weighing up his options.

Liz Smith, a veteran Scottish Tory MSP who previously backed Fraser for leader, said the party had “suffered” from a perception of a lack of integrity and trust at Westminster so the discussion of a new separate party “has to be part of the mix”.

Findlay ‘tough enough’ to lead

Meanwhile, rural affairs spokeswoman Rachael Hamilton has been talking up Russell Findlay as “tough enough” to take on Labour and the SNP.

He fought off a knife-wielding gangster in an acid attack while working as a crime reporter in 2015.

It has been reported Ross, who quit as leader during a personally disastrous election campaign, is keen to see Findlay succeed him.

In an article for the Scottish Daily Mail, seen as a leadership pitch, Findlay said activists had “rightly” been concerned about a lack of positive vision stretching back years.

Jamie Greene and Maurice Golden are also believed to be considering a run.

Golden believes the Tories must move beyond talking about opposing a new referendum on Scottish independence if they are to remain relevant.