Leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Russell Findlay delivers a speech on the first day of the annual Conservative Party conference in Manchester.By Bill Heaney
An eminent lawyer once told a Sheriff at Dumbarton Sheriff Court: “Your Lordship will be aware that journalists do not have crystal balls.”
Someone should tell Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay that things haven’t changed since the days when journalists actually went along to courts to report on them.
And now that he has jumped the dyke from journalism into politics, that politicians too do not have the far seeing gifts of Russell Grant or Mystic Meg.
They too, much as they would like it to be the case, cannot see into the future.
Poacher turned gamekeeper Findlay, who was once a foot-in-the-door scribbler for the Sunday Mail, has denied claims that his leadership is to blame for the three defections his Tory party has suffered so far this year.
And he has vowed to defy the polls and ensure there is strong Tory representation at Holyrood next year after the election.
But polls have not been kind to the Tories and are predicting a fourth place finish and a reduction of half its MSPs May.
The rise of Reform UK and a Scottish Labour resurgence – haven’t heard that one recently – has damaged the popularity of the Scottish Conservatives north and south of the border.
Findlay was asked how he would win support back with the polls looking bleak, and said that the focus will switch to the SNP’s bad record in government.
He said: “We’re a long way out from the election. I think people, once we get closer to that election, a lot more attention will be put on the SNP’s truly appalling record.
“I think a lot of people will also look at Holyrood and see which party has stood up to the SNP, and I think anyone being reasonable or sensible can see the Scottish Conservatives are that party.”
There will be a lot of scrotum scratching before that happens.
Mr Findlay also gave his backing to UK leader Kemi Badenoch’s position that MPs who disagree with leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) cannot stand as Tory candidates, saying it was “entirely reasonable”.
He called on the UK to leave the treaty which he said has been “abused” by those entering the UK illegally. He added that it was a “block” on the Government’s ability to remove people from the country.