SOME pundits would have us believe that the Scottish Conservative leadership election is a two-horse race between Murdo Fraser and Ruth Davidson.
The more perceptive, however, have begun to acknowledge that Jackson Carlaw is in with a very real chance because his leadership qualities are being increasingly recognised.
As one of the only two Scots to have served as party president and party chairman, I know how important it is to have knowledge and understanding of the party and its members, and the experience to deal with the many challenges of leadership. Jackson Carlaw certainly has that experience and an unequalled record of service to the party.
Jackson Carlaw can win this leadership election, not because one group of members is unsettled by the prospect of the party being disbanded while others are anxious about the lack of experience and track record of another aspirant. He can win in his own right because he has made clear his absolute priorities to stand firm for the Union, to develop policies which are appropriate for the distinctive needs of Scotland, to make the party an effective campaigning organisation and to keep the party united in the face of the efforts of the SNP to break up the United Kingdom. He rightly hails the successes of past Conservative Governments while honestly acknowledging the failures. He is a leader who is personally shaped by success as well as adversity, with the inner toughness necessary for the role of leadership.
Some may see this leadership election as an indulgence when there is such a vital challenge to oppose those who wish to see Scotland leaving the UK. What the party and the nation now need is an experienced and principled leader who can quickly re-unite the party, form an effective opposition in the Scottish Parliament, take on the separatists and thereby fulfil its destiny to protect the Union. It seems to me, and many other party members, that Jackson Carlaw is very well equipped for that role.
Michael Hirst,
Glentirran, Kippen.
It is quite revealing that opponents of Ruth Davidson claim she does not command support from the majority of the Scottish Conservatives’ 14 other MSPs in her campaign for the party leadership.
What they ignore, of course, is that for the first time, Annabel Goldie’s successor will lead the whole party, not just the Holyrood MSP group.
As Ruth Davidson has pointed out, she not only wants to lead the whole party, she wants the whole party to be fully engaged in every aspect of Scottish Conservative and Unionist business, from campaigning strategy to policy-making.
It is refreshing that we have a candidate committed to re-engaging with the grassroots members who are the lifeblood of the party and have been disregarded for too long.
It is also revealing that while her opponents seek to discredit her with selective point-scoring, the early indications are that Ruth Davidson is commanding support from a great number of members.
Alastair Paterson,
A5 Oaklands Pitheavlis Crescent,
Perth.
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