New Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay has admitted his party has an "absolute mountain to climb" as he faces his first challenge to win over voters.
Mr Findlay will deliver his first speech to party members on Sunday as he takes the stage at Conservative conference in Birmingham.
He was elected on Saturday to replace Douglas Ross as leader and faces significant challenges in the post, including uniting his party after a turbulent leadership contest.
Speaking on BBC Scotland's the Sunday Show, the new Scottish Conservative leader denied his MSPs were "fighting like rats in a sack".
He said: "Well I don't agree with that characterisation. We've had a really, healthy, largely respectful debate."
Mr Findlay is set to make his pitch to Tory members - and voters across Scotland - as he tells his party conference he will represent the "common sense views of mainstream Scotland".
The former crime journalist was elected to Holyrood in 2021 as a West of Scotland MSP.
He comfortably saw off competition from veteran MSP Murdo Fraser and former deputy leader to win the leadership with 62% of the vote.
He gained the backing of all five Scottish Tory MPs, a raft of MSPs and former leader Ruth Davidson.
Mr Findlay received 2,565 votes of the eligible 4,155 cast in a ballot of members, while Mr Fraser got 1,187 and Ms Gallacher, 403.
Turnout was 60% with overall party membership revealed as 6,941 – fewer than Alex Salmond’s Alba Party which has 7,507.
Speaking on the Sunday Show ahead of his party conference, Mr Findlay said it was an "absolute privilege" to become leader.
He said: “The Conservative government got many things right, it got many things wrong. We lost the trust of the electorate across the UK and we have duly paid the price for that.
“But my job is to rebuild, to look forward, to ensure that the Scottish Conservatives reconnect for the people of Scotland, show the people that we’re on their side, that we understand their concerns.”
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"I believe our politics needs to change, our party needs to change, we need to do things differently, we need to do things better," he said.
"There is an absolute mountain to climb but I am determined to do what I can to make those changes."
He said he will now look to “unite” the party in the wake of the leadership contest, with Mr Findlay saying: “I have got the mandate from the membership to do so.
“I want to move forward as one winning team, to get us back winning again by coming up with a proper policy platform rooted in our Conservative values of aspiration and ambition, and showing people across Scotland we understand their concerns and we are on their side.”
His comments came ahead of a speech to the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham where he will vow to represent the “commonsense views of mainstream Scotland”.
He will accuse the SNP of neglecting “bread and butter issues” because of a fixation” with fringe causes, such as gender self-identification, adding this has left the public disillusioned with politics and politicians.
The West Scotland MSP will go on claim that Labour have been “shoulder-to-shoulder” with the SNP on policies which are “unwanted by ordinary Scots”.
He will say Labour’s support for measures like gender self-recognition, the hate crime ban and a ban on new North Sea exploration shows the new UK Government cannot offer change.
Mr Findlay will tell the conference: “My message is simple – enough of the nonsense. Stop playing to the minority and start governing for the majority. Focus on common sense for a change.
“This leaves us – the Scottish Conservatives – as the sole voice in the Scottish Parliament speaking up for the common sense views of mainstream Scotland.”
Responding, SNP MSP Jackie Dunbar said: “I guess it was Russell Findlay’s commonsense approach to politics that led him to back Liz Truss and her disastrous mini-budget that crashed our economy.
“The Tories find themselves stuck dancing to the tune of dangerous fringe politicians like Nigel Farage as they shift further and further to the right. There is nothing the Tories’ establishment candidate in Scotland, Russell Findlay, is going to do to fix that.
“The SNP will focus on governing for the people of Scotland.”
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