This article appears as part of the Unspun: Scottish Politics newsletter.

Farewell Douglas Ross. The Scottish Tory leader who outlasted two first ministers and three prime ministers is away to the backbenches. 

His final shot as leader of the opposition at First Minister’s Questions was a low-key affair. Nobody gave him the bumps, there was no card, no cake. 

When he walked out of the chamber to be met by the media — well, me and a colleague from the Scotsman, everyone else was waiting for the FM  — he was alone, a few steps behind Rachael Hamilton. 

To be fair his last lonely walk is mostly on him.

On Wednesday, in an interview with ITV Border’s (also outgoing but much more respected) Political Editor Peter MacMahon, he had one last pop at his colleagues. 

If you had one piece of advice to give whoever succeeds you, what would it be, the veteran broadcaster asked. 

“Trust your advisors,” said Ross. “You could go along the corridor and listen to every MSP in our group and have 31 different opinions,” he added.

Ironically, with that comment, he managed to unite all 30 of his backbenchers.  It was, one unhappy MSP told me “typical of his apparent contempt” for his peers.

“The culture of mistrust and ungracious, at times bullish behaviour, has left a sour taste amongst a disunited team,” they said.  His successor, they added, “would benefit massively from clearing out the toxic backroom mandarins and starting again to rebuild trust in the team.”

Another told me his leadership “was disastrous for the party both in the Scottish Parliament and with the wider membership.”

“To lead, you must bring everyone into your tent, or let them think they are in the tent. Play to the strengths of everyone on the team. Listen.  “Unfortunately, Douglas's leadership was characterised by a staggering lack of communication which hardened into high-handed dismissal and actual avoidance of his colleagues.”

They said they would be “surprised if he could name the strengths of more than three of his MSPS at Holyrood.”

(Image: Getty)

“Douglas will be remembered for delivering an historic night in 2021 when we won a record number of votes and held our 31 MSPs,” Maurice Golden told me when I asked what he thought Ross’s legacy would be.

“Unfortunately, he was increasingly distant from the group and didn’t value or want opinions that differed from his own. This is an aspect he appeared to confirm in interviews this week.”

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One of his colleagues did praise Ross for standing up to Boris Johnson. 

You might remember back in 2022 he was one of the first and most senior Tories to call for the then prime minister to resign over Partygate. 

“He has to be held to account for his actions,” Ross said at the time, sending a letter to the backbench 1922 committee in the Commons asking for a vote of no confidence.

It showed that the Scottish Tories were “a bit different,” said the backbencher.  Unfortunately, it lasted about eight weeks.

The Tory boss “capitulated to the pressure of his advisers and withdrew his letter to the 1922 committee calling for Johnson to resign to avoid awkwardness at the Scottish Conservative Conference.”

I remember at the time, Willie Rennie said Ross had the “backbone of a jellyfish,” which is a hell of an insult coming from a Lib Dem. 

To be fair to Ross and the “toxic backroom mandarins” (which, by the way, is also a great name for a band), they have had some political successes.

Most notably, their role in ending Humza Yousaf’s time as First Minister. I’m not sure they can take sole credit, but if it had been up to Labour - the Glasgow Pollok MSP might still be in post.

The Scottish Tories are not in a good way. Polls suggest Nigel Farage’s Reform could take list seats off the party at the next election - due in 2026, though potentially earlier if the SNP fails to get their budget through.

Whoever takes over — and it will be a surprise if it's not Russell Findlay —will have a hell of job bringing this damaged group back together in time for the vote.