One of the candidates in the Scottish Tory leadership race has warned against different camps emerging during the contest and said the party must ensure they come out of the ongoing leadership race "genuinely united".

His intervention followed bruising leadership contests in the SNP and the UK Conservatives in 2023 between Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes, and Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss.

Mr Kerr said that ahead of the 2026 Holyrood election, the party must adopt a "genuinely conservative programme", along with a strategy to deliver it, but that can only be done "if we are a genuinely united party".

Speaking to the BBC on Tuesday, the party's education spokesman added: "Any leadership campaign risks polarisation.

"I think we've had many good years, we have 31 MSPs in the Parliament and we all act together, we all act very collegiately.

 

"I think there's a slight risk, because we've seen it in other contests coming out of a leadership campaign, there could be different camps.

"I think one of the challenges for the new leadership - which I think I'm very well placed to address - would be to make sure that we don't emerge in that state that, actually, going forward, we all come together, head forward to 2026 with a really exciting proposition that the people of Scotland will vote for."

READ MORE: 

Meanwhile, the former leader of the Scottish Conservatives has called for a live TV hustings in his party's leadership race.

Jackson Carlaw said the programme would allow party members a chance to assess the candidates before they vote.

Mr Carlaw suggested STV's political editor Colin Mackay or BBC Scotland's Debate Night could take on the event.

Five Conservative MSPs - Russell Findlay, Meghan Gallacher, Jamie Greene, Liam Kerr and Brian Whittle - have thrown their hats into the ring in the contest so far. 

Nominations formally open on Thursday and close at noon on August 22 with ballots papers being sent to party members on September 4. The winner will be announced on September 27.

"A week ago I urged others to join Russell Findlay in the Scottish Tories leadership race," Mr Carlaw wrote on X, formerly Twitter today.

"Delighted Meghan Gallacher, Jamie Greene, Liam Kerr and Brian Whittle now have. Members deserve to see them debate publicly before voting, so a request to STV Colin Mackay and BBC Debate Night. Over to you."

Fellow MSP Stephen Kerr agreed he would like to see televised hustings and noted the contest's tight timetable.

"Let’s see these candidates in an open debate on telly. There is very little time - a matter of days - for a proper contest between the close of nominations and the ballot papers going out - so the sooner we get to this the better," he said.

Mr Carlaw was Scottish Tory leader from February to July 2020, having acted in the position since August 2019. 

He announced his resignation as leader of the Scottish Conservatives on July 30 2020, stating he had reached the "simple if painful conclusion" he was not "the person best placed" to lead the party into the next Scottish Parliament election, in 2021 and was succeeded by Douglas Ross, who announced during the general election campaign that he would be standing down.

On Tuesday, Mr Greene announced his plans to make a push for the top job, outlining a his vision for a "radical shake-up" of the party, as well as trying to "fix politics, fix the party, fix Scotland".

"Twenty five years into devolution I think Holyrood has let down a generation of young Scots," he said.

"The Scottish Conservatives have been a drifting ship surviving political storms, but I've had enough of the language of defeat.

"I want to fix politics, fix our party, and fix Scotland.

"That means a radical shake-up of how we do things in Holyrood and a change in leadership style.

"The public is scunnered by politics and the endless, pointless grievance-mongering.

"They want to see their Parliament deliver meaningful change, and that means we need adults in the room in charge."

STV said any plans around leadership debates would be confirmed after nominations have closed.

A BBC spokesman said: “We’ve haven’t made all our plans yet, but we’ll be hearing from all candidates as we cover the Scottish Conservatives’ leadership contest over the next few weeks.”