The Scottish Conservatives are on the verge of falling apart amid a ‘toxic’ leadership campaign, a senior party grandee warned today.
Former leader Jackson Carlaw told supporters of three candidates vying to replace Douglas Ross to ‘wind your necks in’ amid an increasingly acrimonious campaign.
Tensions have reached a new level in recent days, with contender and former deputy leader Meghan Gallacher making a complaint to the party about one of its own MPs.
The complaint is understood to revolve around an accusation that Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk MP John Lamont threatened her career – which he denies.
Mr Carlaw told the Daily Telegraph there was ‘genuine concern’ that the party would be able to unite behind the winner of the leadership vote before the next Holyrood election in less than two years’ time.
‘One of them will be elected leader. But the atmosphere is now becoming so toxic that I am appealing to people as a former leader, and as the oldest Conservative MSP, as someone who has not declared for any of the candidates, who is not tribally aligned, for people to wind their necks in now and allow the balance of this election to be conducted without further rancour and to be prepared to work together on the other side of it,’ he said.
‘That is not going to be the basis on which we can all pull together in a relatively short period of time to fight a major election where we’re the only party who are actually saying anything distinct or different, and where there has to be a proper alternative put to the people of Scotland.’
The former leader said it is ‘absolutely incumbent’ on members to ‘stop this now’.
The leadership is being contested by Ms Gallacher, Murdo Fraser and Russell Findlay, after Douglas Ross announced he was stepping down before the general election.
Ms Gallacher claims to have experienced sexism while pushing for votes from members in the contest. She also claimed that a senior member of the party – who she did not name – had been briefing against her and suggested to members she was going to drop out.
She then subsequently made a complaint to the party that Mr Lamont, who heads the board in charge of candidate vetting, left her feeling that he threatened her about her career prospects after receiving a call in which he warned her their relationship had been damaged and was likely beyond repair.
Mr Lamont – who has announced his support for Russell Findlay in the contest – strongly denied the allegations, which he described as ‘defamatory and false’ and added: ‘I am now considering further action including legal options.’
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday, Mr Fraser described Mr Carlaw’s intervention as ‘wise words’.
‘The sexism, misogynistic bullying, threats of legal action and constant blue-on-blue attacks we have seen must end,’ he said.
‘Our members and supporters are rightly angered by this behaviour. This needs to be a contest of ideas and vision.’
In an interview with the Herald on Sunday, Ms Gallacher said there is a culture of sexism in politics which is not unique to her party, and claimed she has experienced comments about balancing the role with childcare in a way the other candidates had not.
She said: ‘What has been striking – and I know that my male colleagues have not been getting this – I’m constantly being asked ”how are you going to balance childcare, how are you going to manage having a young daughter and also having the top job?”
‘But if we don’t prove that someone else can do it, we’re just going to have that same old narrative that women can’t get that top job. I think there is still that sort of culture instilled in people.
‘I don’t think everyone necessarily means it, but there are definitely quiet (sexist) undertones. I don’t think they understand the impact that can have on the individual.’
At the weekend, Mr Lamont instructed his lawyers to write to Ms Gallacher demanding that she withdraw the claims about their telephone conversation.
He is understood to be adamant he has not been involved in phoning members as part of Mr Findlay’s campaign and insists she can provide no evidence because it didn’t happen.
He also insists he did not threaten her career and had instead said their relationship had been damaged by false claims and they would need to work together after the contest.
It is understood that another MP heard Mr Lamont’s call – while Ms Gallacher said the call was heard by her husband.
Mr Lamont said: ‘These claims are defamatory and false. I am now considering further action including legal options.’
The Mail yesterday contacted Ms Gallacher’s campaign team to ask if she had received the letter from Mr Lamont and if she would be withdrawing her claims but did not receive a response.
After details of Ms Gallacher’s complaint were first reported, Mr Fraser called for an investigation. He said: ‘This is a deeply disturbing report. These claims by my friend and fellow candidate Meghan Gallacher need to be thoroughly investigated and appropriate action taken. I have contacted Meghan to offer my support at what must be a very difficult time.’
A Scottish Conservative spokesman said: ‘The party has received a complaint and this will be investigated in the usual way.’