Scottish Tories must come out of leadership race genuinely united – contender

Five candidates are in the running to replace Douglas Ross, with the winner to be announced in late September.

Liam Kerr has announced plans to stand on Monday (Fraser Bremner/Scottish Daily Mail/PA) (PA Wire)

The Scottish Tories must ensure they come out of the ongoing leadership race “genuinely united”, one of the contenders for the top job has said.

North East Scotland MSP Liam Kerr announced he would seek the leadership on Monday, with the field now widened to five MSPs.

West Scotland MSP Jamie Greene also announced his plan to run on Tuesday morning, joining a race that already included Russell Findlay, Brian Whittle and Meghan Gallacher.

But in the wake of bruising leadership contests in the SNP and the Conservatives nationally, Mr Kerr warned of MSPs separating into “camps” once the winner is announced on September 27.

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

Liam Kerr, Scottish Tories

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”, Mr Kerr said.

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.”

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 are 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.”