Fraser calls for Scottish Tories to set up commission on party future

He said this would include his suggestion of the Tories standing candidates in Scotland in UK general elections but a new centre-right party fighting Holyrood elections.

Writing in the Telegraph, Mr Fraser, who is a likely leadership candidate in the party's contest to succeed Douglas Ross, said the commission’s recommendations would then be put to a vote of Scottish Tory members to give them the final say over any changes.

READ MORE: Brian Whittle enters the Tory leadership contest

He argued that setting up an independent commission would prevent blue-on-blue in-fighting on the issue during the forthcoming contest to replace Douglas Ross as Scottish Tory leader.

However, he noted that potential candidates had already been expressing views on the issue, including front-runner Russell Findlay, who said earlier this month: “It makes sense to have a sensible review of the best relationship between the Scottish and UK outfit.”

Several other MSPs believe a breakaway party should be debated again following the UK Conservatives’ general election drubbing. Although their seat tally dropped by only one to five in Scotland, their vote share nearly halved, to 12.7%.

Liam Kerr, the shadow education secretary, has warned that the Tories struggled to win more than 24% of the popular vote even when the popular Ms Davidson was leader.

READ MORE: Scottish Tories 'too fragile' for existential debate

He said many felt that it was “unlikely” that the Scottish Tory “vehicle” would ever achieve power and also called for a new “Holyrood centre-right party focused solely and exclusively on matters devolved to the Scottish Parliament”.

The UK’s most eminent polling expert has also suggested that the Scottish Tories may need to reconsider their relationship with the UK party if they want to be more than an “also-ran” at Holyrood.

Prof Sir John Curtice told the Herald on Sunday that the party was in a “dire position” and that there was a “big question” over how much a new leader in the Scottish Parliament could do to “repair the situation”.

However, in a statement today MSP Russell Findlay - who along with MS Brian Whittle is one of two candidates to confirm their intentions to stand - said a party split from the UK Tories "must be off the table".

"Of course we should regularly review how our party works, as we have in the past. That is only sensible," he said.

“However, in any future review, splitting the party must be off the table.

“We should not consider breaking away from the UK Conservative family or splitting off to form a new ‘Holyrood only’ party.

“The Scottish Conservatives need to focus on building a positive policy platform for 2026 and beyond, not endless debates about breakaway parties.”

Ms Davidson, who is now Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links, has also warned against any sort of split, saying that a “divided party is a short route to electoral suicide”.

Up to nine MSPs are considering standing for the Scottish Tory leadership, with the party’s management board meeting on Wednesday to decide the contest’s rules and timetable.

Party chiefs are keen to have Mr Ross’s successor in place in time for the UK Conservative conference at the end of September.

Mr Fraser said his proposal for a new party fighting Holyrood elections echoed the situation in Canada, where there is a “distinction” between parties fighting provincial and federal elections.

“While there is clearly a willingness to have this debate among leadership contenders, two things are clear. Firstly, this is a divisive issue amongst party members, with no clear consensus as to the way forward,” he wrote.

“Secondly, even if there was an appetite for change, it is simply impractical to suggest that this could be done in a realistic and credible fashion in time for the 2026 Holyrood elections, just 21 months away.

“So I would suggest that rather than make this the focus of the leadership campaign, instead we establish a commission under a suitably experienced and senior independent party figure, who would look at all these issues and come back and report in due course on the pros and cons of potential ways forward, to be implemented after 2026. This would allow a detailed examination of all the issues, and allow all members to have their say.”

Mr Fraser also said the party should review current rules that mean the Scottish leader theoretically has authority over all Tory MPs and MSPs north of the border. He added that there should be a greater role for senior volunteers.

"Relationships with the UK party aside, there are clearly other aspects of the party constitution that need to be looked at by any commission. Under current rules, the Scottish leader has authority over the entire party, MPs as well as MSPs. While this is the legal position, it simply does not reflect practice.

"In theory, a future Scottish Conservative MP achieving the office of prime minister would be under the authority of whichever MSP is Scottish leader. The notion that, say, Prime Minister Bowie would take orders from Scottish leader Kerr at Holyrood is for the birds," he said.

"We also need to see a much-enhanced role for senior volunteers. Until the most recent set of constitutional changes, there was a position of deputy chairman directly elected by the Tory membership; a position of authority which attracted senior figures including former MPs such as Bill Walker and George Kynoch. I would like to see such a position recreated to give the grass-roots membership a stronger say in the running of the party."

Mr Fraser went on to say that the contest needed to be a battle of idea and how the party can "best face our current challenges, not least the twin threats of a resurgent Labour Party and the emergence of Reform UK."

Potential candidates for the party leadership have already been expressing their views the party's future relationship with the UK Conservatives.

Liam Kerr MSP has said that this is a debate that needs to be revisited, while fellow MSP Jamie Greene, wrote: “There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that the Scottish Conservatives need to renegotiate their partnership with the party south of the border.”

Mr Fraser wrote that no changes would be made until after the 2026 Holyrood election, following criticism that immediately breaking links with the UK Conservatives would damage the party’s prospects in the contest.

The shadow business secretary stood unsuccessfully for the leadership against Ruth Davidson in 2011, when he called for the Scottish Tories to be replaced entirely with a new party.

Mr Fraser, who is weighing up another leadership bid, acknowledged that a split was “too radical a step for most party members” and said he no longer thought it was the correct move.