Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
He was elected on Saturday to replace Douglas Ross as leader and faces significant challenges in the job, including unifying his party after a turbulent leadership contest.
Speaking on the Sunday Show on BBC Scotland, the new leader of the Conservatives in Scotland denied that his MSPs were “fighting like rats in a sack”.
He said: “Well I don’t agree with that characterization. We’ve had a real, healthy, largely respectful debate.”
Mr Findlay is set to make his pitch to Tory members – and voters across Scotland – as he told his party conference he will represent “mainstream Scottish common sense”.
The former crime journalist was elected to Holyrood in 2021 as West of Scotland MSP.
He comfortably saw off competition from veteran MSP Murdo Fraser and former deputy leader to win the leadership with 62% of the vote.
He won the support of all five Tory MPs from Scotland, a host of MLAs and former leader Ruth Davidson.
Mr Findlay received 2,565 votes out of the 4,155 eligible votes cast in a vote of members, while Mr Fraser received 1,187 and Ms Gallacher, 403.
The turnout was 60% and the party’s overall membership was revealed as 6,941 – less than Alex Salmond’s Alba Party which has 7,507.
Speaking on the Sunday Show ahead of his party’s conference, Mr Findlay said it was an “absolute privilege” to become leader.
He said: “The Conservative government got a lot of things right, it got a lot of things wrong. We lost the trust of the electorate across the UK and we have duly paid the price for that.
“But my job is to rebuild, to look forward, to ensure that the Scottish Conservatives reconnect for the people of Scotland, show the people that we are on their side, that we understand their concerns.”
READ MORE:
Almost a quarter of councils built no new homes last year
Poll: Will Russell Findlay revives the Scottish Conservative Party
Rachael Hamilton is the new deputy leader of the Scottish Tories
“I think our politics need to change, our party needs to change, we need to do things differently, we need to do things better,” he said.
“There is an absolute mountain to climb but I am determined to do what I can to make those changes.”
He said he will now look to “unite” the party in the wake of the leadership contest, with Mr Findlay saying: “I have been given a mandate by the membership to do so.
“I want to move forward as one winning team, to get us back to winning again by finding a proper policy platform rooted in our Conservative values of aspiration and ambition, and showing people across the Scotland that we understand their concerns and we are on their side. .”
His comments came ahead of a speech to the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham where he will promise to represent “the common views of mainstream Scotland”.
He will accuse the SNP of neglecting “bread and butter issues” due to an obsession” with fringe causes, such as gender identity, adding that this has left the public disillusioned with politics and politicians.
The West of Scotland ASA will go on the claim that Labor has been “shoulder-to-shoulder” with the SNP on policies that are “unnecessary for ordinary Scots”.
He will say that Labour’s support for measures such as gender self-recognition, the ban on hate crimes and a ban on new exploration into the North Sea shows that the new UK Government cannot offer change.
Mr Findlay will tell the conference: “My message is simple – enough nonsense. Stop playing for the minority and start governing for the majority. Focus on common sense for a change.
“This leaves us – the Scottish Conservatives – as the only voice in the Scottish Parliament speaking for mainstream Scottish common sense.”
Responding, SNP MP Jackie Dunbar said: “It was probably Russell Findlay’s common sense approach to politics that led him to support Liz Truss and her disastrous mini budget that created our economy.
“The Tories find themselves stuck dancing to the tune of dangerous fringe politicians like Nigel Farage as they move further and further to the right. There is nothing the Tory establishment candidate in Scotland, Russell Findlay, is going to do to fix that.
“The SNP will focus on governing for the people of Scotland.”
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24617074.findlay-admitted-scottish-tories-mountain-climb/?ref=rss
