LIZ Truss has won further support from the Scottish Conservatives with a tenth MSP publicly backing her campaign to succeed Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.
Annie Wells, the party's former deputy leader, today announced she would be voting for the Foreign Secretary in the contest.
Announcing her decision, the Glasgow MSP wrote on Twitter: "With two candidates remaining in this race, I'm delighted to back @trussliz for Prime Minister.
"She has valuable experience delivering at the highest levels of government, and it's clear she has the skills, vision and qualities to lead our country."
Her endorsement was welcomed by party colleague Murdo Fraser, who is also backing Ms Truss.
Replying to Ms Wells, he tweeted: "A significant endorsement for @trussliz from @AnnieWellsMSP - now 10 MSPs backing #LizForLeader."
Eight MSPs and two Scottish MPs support the former Chancellor Rishi Sunak who is seen as the underdog in the race. Some 13 Tory MSPs have not publicly declared who they are supporting.
In addition to Ms Wells and Mr Fraser, Rachael Hamilton, Liam Kerr, Stephen Kerr, and Oliver Mundell, who are all members of Douglas Ross’s shadow cabinet, have given Ms Truss their support.
Also backing Ms Truss are Finlay Carson, Sharon Dowey, Douglas Lumsden and Graham Simpson.
The ten Scottish Tory MSPs and MPs supporting the former Chancellor are former leader Jackson Carlaw, MSPs Donald Cameron, Liz Smith, Miles Briggs, Maurice Golden, Jeremy Balfour, Dean Lockhart and Alexander Stewart, and MPs John Lamont and Andrew Bowie.
Former Scottish Tory leadership Ruth Davidson, who now sits in the Lords, is backing Mr Sunak.
Mr Ross has refused to pick a side in public so far leading to accusations from the SNP that the Scottish Tory leader is a coward.
During the 2019 leadership contest Mr Ross changed who he was favouring a number of times.
Asked about the split on BBC Radio Scotland yesterday morning, Mr Fraser said it was merely a sign of a healthy debate in the party over the leadership.
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