A SCOTTISH Tory stalwart fighting to become the country’s next MEP has accused Ruth Davidson of running the party like a clique in which only her favourites prosper.
Belinda Don said that if you were not in with the Scottish Tory leader “then you are out”.
Ms Don has threatened legal action against the Scottish Tories over a "stitch-up" stop her replacing Dr Ian Duncan as Scotland’s Tory MEP in Brussels.
Tory members ranked Ms Don, who has 12 years experience as an MEP’s assistant, number two on the party list for the 2014 European Election.
Ordinarily, she would replace Dr Duncan, who is leaving the European Parliament to become a peer and UK government minister.
However Tory HQ says Ms Don, 58, has not been sufficiently active as a member, and wants to send a lower-ranked candidate in Brussels instead.
Ms Don, who opposed Ms Davidson becoming Scottish Tory leader in 2011, told BBC Scotland that if party leaders could overturn elections “we no longer live in a democracy”.
She said: “It seems that if you are not in with Ruth Davidson, then you are out.
“You will have to ask Ruth whether she has a problem [with me]. I personally have no problem with her at all, and would have loved to work with her.”
She also said people would not approve of Dr Duncan being elevated to the Lords just days after he was rejected by the voters as the Tory general election candidate in Perth.
She said: “Ian Duncan is a very capable person, but I do think it doesn't reflect well if politicians are seen to be part of an in-crowd clique. I don't think this is doing anything to help our cause. I think people will look at that and say it smacks of cronyism."
A Tory spokesman said no decision had been taken on the next MEP, and Ms Don could apply for certification by the party once a vacancy arose.
"A decision on whether a certificate will be issued to Mrs Don will then be taken by the Management Board of the Party and not by the Leader of the Party."
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