Russell Findlay short on time to rethink Tories' Reform conspiracy-wielding imitation strategy
Russell Findlay is pressing ahead with attempting to mirror Reform - but it is not cutting through to voters.
It was meant to hoist the Scottish Tories’ confidence as Holyrood returns from summer recess - but Russell Findlay’s pitch to voters risks leaving his party looking like an imitation of Reform and reaching for the tin hats.
After announcing he was to deliver his speech in Glasgow, Mr Findlay must have suffered instant regret when Tory MSP Jeremy Balfour confirmed he has had enough and has quit the party - accusing Mr Findlay of having “fallen into the trap of reactionary politics”, with policy “dictated by what other parties are saying and chasing cheap headlines”.
Unsurprisingly, Mr Balfour becoming the second MSP to quit under Mr Findlay’s leadership dominated the event - with the leader attempting to downplay the revolt.
Wearing a substantial tan as if he had just emerged from a plane after one of those sunny holidays Mr Findlay has a reputation for, the Scottish Conservative leader looked uncomfortable taking questions from journalists over how he intends to stem the bleeding the party is suffering at the hands of Nigel Farage.
Read More: Russell Findlay will not quit if Tories fall behind Reform as he breaks silence on second defection
He also, worryingly for the Tories, looked shaky being asked about a key Conservative issue - immigration.
After repeated questions being ducked, Mr Findlay eventually admitted that he believed those attending anti-immigration protests, fuelled by misinformation by the far right, have “understandable” concerns. He even highlighted an isolated case of a sexual assault being used to fuel anti-immigration rhetoric. Mr Farage will be delighted.
The tribute to Reform didn’t end there. Mr Findlay, in a scathing critique of the Holyrood system, opened the door to conspiracies that “state-funded” charities and academics, autonomous in their own right, were part of some SNP stitch-up on the Scottish public.
Not settling for assuming the public sector is part of the SNP’s “circular system of approval”, Mr Findlay is now suggesting independent academics and charities are in on it too - in what many people will find a dangerous path to tread.
The lack of confidence was summed up by one journalist asking Mr Findlay if he now resembled “an old man shaking his fist at a cloud” - a savage review of his self-declared common sense strategy.
Mr Findlay has been a smooth media talker since becoming leader. But the lack of self-belief he espoused in his set piece speech will do nothing to settle Conservative nerves as Holyrood returns in what will be a long trudge to next May’s election.
His highly-critical assessment of the SNP included lambasting ministers for plans that are “light on detail” before himself promising specifics on transferring powers from Holyrood to councils to be published “in due course”.
His pledge to cut the number of quangos will also have sounded familiar to many, given Labour’s Anas Sarwar announced a similar strategy months ago.
Despite the Reform imitation, Mr Findlay was adamant the Tories’ biggest rival is the SNP and not Mr Farage’s party. He has vowed never to work with Reform, insisted he will not quit as leader if he slips behind Mr Farage’s party and stressed it will take time to regain public trust after last year’s dismal general election.
But one thing Mr Findlay does not have is time. It is apparent that attempting to mimic Reform is a losing strategy for the Tories. If the Scottish Conservative leader cannot find a formula to keep hold of his MSPs at the election and in the run-up to May, it’s likely his time will be up.
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