Scottish Tory leadership race may start within weeks
Kieran Andrews, Scottish Political Editor
Tuesday October 08 2019, 12.01am, The Times
Jackson Carlaw has angered his MSPs by backing a no-deal Brexit
ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
The Scottish Tories are likely to begin a leadership contest to find Ruth Davidson's successor within weeks if a general election is pushed back to the spring.
At an awayday in North Queensferry yesterday Lord McInnes of Kilwinning, the party director, sided with those who were pushing for a snap leadership vote.
The Times revealed last week that some Tory MSPs believed that a spring election would allow time to install a permanent leader. Jackson Carlaw had been due to remain interim leader until Britain left the EU but angered much of his front bench by reversing the party's position to support a no-deal Brexit without consulting them.
Murdo Fraser, the party's finance spokesman, spoke out about his opposition to a no-deal Brexit yesterday.