Publicly unelectable list MSP Jackson Carlaw wants to be new Tory leader in Scotland taking over from Annabel Goldie, poor pool of talent

Dear All

The Scottish Tories were once described by one of the Westminster Candidates as having within it a ‘nest of poisonous vipers’.

We should say thank you to her for her honesty but in truth see is only confirming what the public already knew…. for decades.

The present ‘leader’ is Annabel Goldie, she like other party leaders has decided to pull out her rubber sword and fall on it after a disastrous Holyrood election result.

Her resignation doesn’t mean she is standing down as an MSP, not the hallmark of ‘rubber sword’ is sitting up the back.

The first candidate for the Conservative Party leadership contest has declared his intention to stand, and it is West of Scotland MSP Jackson Carlaw.

Carlaw has a colourful history and given he made the press for telling racist jokes; it will interesting to see if his brand of Toryism has any traction.

A spokesman for the MSP said:

"With the rules for the election set to be confirmed shortly, (Mr Carlaw) intends on making a formal announcement of his candidacy later this month when he launches his campaign. At that time and throughout the campaign he will set out in detail how he hopes to meet the constitutional, wider political and party organisational challenges ahead."

And testing the water over by speaking in The Scotsman newspaper, Mr Carlaw said:

"It is my intention to stand. I consulted widely over the summer. I believe I have a significant degree of support."

Carlaw is like many of the list MSPs in Holyrood, publicly unelectable, if it wasn’t for the list, the only way he would be in Holyrood would be sitting in the Visitors gallery.

After the defeat and lets face, who thought that the Tories would do well, Goldie had said she would continue as leader until replacement was found later this year.

At the time she said:

"I believe that the time has come for the torch to pass and I can confirm that I will not be a candidate. There are four years until the next UK general election, and five years until the next Holyrood contest. I want my successor to have the maximum time for him or her to shape the party and its policies, and to lead the opposition at Holyrood."

And like the Labour Party who has no policies, he will probably adopt Goldie’s tactics of ‘principled opposition’.

Principled opposition is basically standing out of trouble and being an interested observer as the SNP and Labour slug it out.

Carlaw ticks the typical Tory boxes married two children; lives in an affluent area and is rich.
Another person floated as a contender is the truly dreadful Ruth Davidson, an ally of Goldie who benefited from the Tories kicking out the top Tory on the Glasgow list.

Even for Tories this was a remarkably low.

Ruth Davidson is another publicly unelectable MSP.

And certainly no leader of men!

Unfortunately like the Lib Dems, the Tories are faced with the awful truth of selecting the ‘best of the worst’.

It may just be Jackson Carlaw.

Publicly unelectable list MSP Jackson Carlaw!

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University