LEADING pollster Professor Sir John Curtice has said the Scottish Tories may need to reconsider their relationship with their UK colleagues if they want to be more than an “also-ran” in Holyrood.
It comes amid the ongoing contest to replace Douglas Ross and, while a number of MSPs are believed to be considering a bid, Russell Findlay is the only person to have officially entered the contest.
Speaking to The Herald on Sunday, Curtice (below) said the Scottish Tories are in a “dire position” and there was a “question” over how much impact a new leader in the Scottish Parliament could have.
The Scottish party’s relationship with the UK party has already been a key debate during the leadership contest.
Murdo Fraser has previously suggested the idea when he ran for the leadership against Ruth Davidson in 2011, although recently said he preferred a Canadian-style model in which a separate party would sit in Holyrood, but the Tories would still fight UK elections in Scotland.
However, Curtice has said the party’s “main problem” in Scotland was the fallout from Partygate and Liz Truss’s time as prime minister.
“Between them, they badly damaged the Conservative’s reputation for integrity and competence, both of which had a clear effect north of the Border,” Curtice said.
He added: “The only big difference from down south is that the biggest flow of 2019 Conservative voters was to Labour rather than Reform.
“And all this has enabled Labour to reclaim the mantle as the principal party of Unionism north of the Border, while also having some success, unlike the Tories, in bridging the constitutional divide.
“So as in the early years of devolution, the party is now an 'also-ran' once more, albeit now with even fewer votes than then if not seats.
“The big question is how much, if anything, can the Scottish leadership do to repair the situation, as opposed simply to hope that their colleagues at Westminster turn things around from a dire position sooner rather than later.
“This clearly raises the question of whether the Scottish party should revisit loosening its ties with Westminster.”
Curtice also delivered his verdict on the Scottish Tories’ chances at the next Holyrood election, which is less than two years away.
He said: "Of course, being a party of government means not just winning seats but also being able to find partners who are willing to help sustain your minority administration or enter into a coalition.
“One obvious potential problem for the Conservatives is whether they could find such partners.”
