New leader of Scottish Conservatives to be announced

The person of the Scottish Conservatives volition beryllium announced connected Friday.

Russell Findlay, Murdo Fraser and Meghan Gallacher are connected the ballot paper, with 1 of the 3 acceptable to instrumentality implicit from Douglas Ross successful Holyrood.

The tract narrowed from six to 3 aft Brian Whittle, Jamie Greene and Liam Kerr dropped their bid for the apical job.

Polls closed for Scottish Tory members – of which determination are believed to beryllium astir 7,000 – astatine noon connected Thursday, with the effect owed to beryllium announced astatine astir 10am connected Friday.

Whoever takes connected the apical occupation volition inherit a hard bequest from Mr Ross, who was driven retired of the relation pursuing his determination to basal successful the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East spot astatine Westminster successful spot of erstwhile MP David Duguid, who was recovering from a spinal stroke.

The determination irked MSPs and enactment members aft Mr Ross had antecedently said helium would basal down from Westminster to absorption connected Holyrood. He was forced to denote successful the midst of the wide predetermination run that helium would discontinue arsenic person aft polling day.

The newest incumbent volition besides look a punishing archetypal fewer days.

As good arsenic an aggravated media circular pursuing the announcement connected Friday, a ceremonial to people the 25th day of devolution is being held astatine the Scottish Parliament connected Saturday, with the caller person owed to articulation others successful making a code earlier the King and Queen.

Within 24 hours, they volition request to caput to the Conservative Party league successful Birmingham, wherever they volition undertake a fig of engagements.

Appointments of their frontbench squad are expected to instrumentality spot adjacent week.