It took me by surprise to see Jackson Carlaw MSP resign as leader of the Scottish Conservatives last Thursday having only occupied the post since February.
Following his announcement, Carlaw indicated he had been thinking carefully about his position in recent weeks.
He said: “I believe the right way forward for Scottish Conservatives, and for the union, is for a younger and fresher voice for the party to take us forward.”
However, another Scottish Conservative MSP shared her belief that he was “pushed” by Westminster rather than leaving of his own volition.
The resignation announcement came within a week of the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson travelling to Scotland after a recent Panelbase poll placed the Scottish Conservatives 30 percentage points behind the Scottish National Party.
Michelle Ballantyne MSP, who ran against Carlaw for the leader-ship in January, said: “I am happy he is gone. I never thought he was the right person. The reality is I think the party made the wrong choice.”
I shared in these pages last week that my view is that the union is now in its eleventh hour.
However, whatever anyone’s view of the Conservatives may be, I believe a healthy democracy requires a healthy opposition.
For the sake of Scottish politics, I hope the Scottish Conservatives choose well.
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