SCOTS Tory leader Ruth Davidson has said her party can form the main opposition at Holyrood after next year's Scottish Parliament elections.
She told her MSPs they could capitalise on a strong election campaign as Labour and the Lib Dems sought to rebuild after their disastrous results.
Ms Davidson was applauded by Tory MSPs meeting at Holyrood for the first time since the election.
Despite David Cameron leading a campaign that was widely perceived as "anti-Scottish," the Scots Tories polled more votes than in 2010.
The party's overall tally rose from 412,000 to 434,000 last Thursday, though its share of the vote dipped from 17 per cent to 15 per cent.
The party held onto its single seat north of the Border.
Ms Davidson told MSPs she planned to accelerate the selection of Holyrood candidates.
She told colleagues: "We can be the centre ground natural opposition to the to the Nationalists in Scotland.
"We have the chance to be the only credible alternative government in Scotland."
A senior source said the party wanted candidates in place so it could prepare for next May's election while Labour and the Lib Dems focused on post-mortems and UK leadership contests after their disastrous results last week.
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