Russell Findlay, the newly elected leader of the Scottish Conservatives, has warned that Reform UK's vote share at the general election could hand the SNP a majority at Holyrood in 2026. Speaking after his confirmation as Douglas Ross's successor, Findlay said he is 'acutely conscious' of the threat posed by Nigel Farage's party, which won 7% of the vote in Scotland in July.
Findlay, a former crime reporter who entered the Scottish Parliament three years ago, won 61.7% of first-preference votes in the leadership contest, defeating Murdo Fraser and Meghan Gallacher. The election was triggered by a rebellion against Ross after he ousted popular candidate David Duguid as the Tory nominee for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, a seat the party subsequently lost to the SNP by 942 votes—a margin exceeded by Reform's 5,562 votes.
The new leader acknowledged the need to reconnect with voters who feel 'scunnered' by politicians, but faces a balancing act between winning back Reform supporters and maintaining the centre-right, pro-union stance that former leader Ruth Davidson championed. Findlay confirmed he would keep policy disputes with the UK party private, but disagreed with leadership candidates Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat over leaving the European Convention on Human Rights.
Fraser, who came second in the contest, urged the party to win back Reform voters 'not by chasing Nigel Farage's agenda, but by looking at people who are disappointed with Conservatives who feel we’ve let them down.' The Tories currently hold 31 seats at Holyrood, but their general election vote share dropped to 12.7%, down 12.4 points since 2019.
