Ex-Scottish Tory leader warns feuding factions to ‘wind their necks in’

A former Scottish Tory leader has warned the feuding factions in the party’s leadership contest must “wind their necks in” or they will be unable to unite to fight the 2026 Holyrood election.

Jackson Carlaw told The Telegraph the divisions that have plagued the contest are now “so toxic” that there was “genuine concern” that the victor would be unable to bring the party back together again.

In a direct appeal as a former party leader who has not endorsed any of the three candidates, he urged those responsible to “wind their necks in now” and allow the remainder of the contest to be fought “without further rancour”.

Pressed on who he was blaming, Mr Carlaw said it was not the three candidates themselves but others who were “loosely connected” to their campaigns, “some of whom have got vested interests”.

However, he said the candidates had “a moral responsibility to stop those who are acting on their behalf” and concluded that “everybody just has to calm down”.

Mr Carlaw intervened after The Telegraph disclosed how the only female candidate in the Scottish Tory leadership contest had tabled a formal complaint with the party accusing the shadow Scottish secretary of threatening her political career.

Meghan Gallacher complained on Friday alleging John Lamont warned her future in the party was at risk following allegations he was involved in dirty tricks targeting her campaign.

The Scottish Tories have confirmed a complaint has been received and would be investigated “in the usual way”.

Mr Lamont vehemently denied any wrongdoing and warned her he would take legal action if she refused to withdraw her allegations.

It is understood the Berwickshire, Roxburgh, and Selkirk MP, who has endorsed Russell Findlay for the leadership, instructed solicitors on Friday evening after receiving no response to his ultimatum.

Douglas Ross, the outgoing leader, has stayed silent so far about the row. Ms Gallacher was his deputy until she resigned last month and Mr Lamont is a close friend with whom he used to share a flat in London when they were both MPs.

Mr Carlaw, who led the party in 2020 after Ruth Davidson’s resignation and was succeeded by Mr Ross, said that “due process” must be followed and the allegations “fully investigated”.

Arguing that they had to be a “wake-up call for everyone”, the Eastwood MSP, told The Telegraph: “I think concerns, which were quite widespread for some time during the conduct of this election, have now really got to a different level altogether.

“There is genuine, genuine concern that the party is going to find it very difficult to come together after this leadership election, which we all have to do because we have three excellent candidates. One of them will be elected leader.

“But the atmosphere is now becoming so toxic that I am appealing to people as a former leader, and as the oldest Conservative MSP, as someone who has not declared for any of the candidates, who is not tribally aligned, for people to wind their necks in now and allow the balance of this election to be conducted without further rancour and to be prepared to work together on the other side of it.”

‘Increasingly toxic’

Warning that the party risks not reuniting in time for the May 2026 election, Mr Carlaw said that the “more increasingly toxic it becomes, the more suspicious people become, the less trusting they become of one another”.

“That is not going to be the basis on which we can all pull together in a relatively short period of time to fight a major election where we’re the only party who are actually saying anything distinct or different, and where there has to be a proper alternative put to the people of Scotland,” he said.

“So it is absolutely incumbent on people to stop this now and start working together and for the party structures to be given the authority to act effectively in order that people can feel safe in the conduct of their campaign, and that this nonsense stops.”

Mr Carlaw did not identify who he thought were the culprits but he said: “They appear to not have the appropriate ability to know when enough is enough or when they have gone too far.” Scottish Tory members have started receiving their ballot papers, with the victor announced on Sept 27.

Dirty tricks claims

Ms Gallacher’s complaint followed allegations that Mr Lamont had been telephoning party members and falsely informing them that she intended to drop out of the contest.

She claimed to have received reports from her campaign team that Mr Lamont told the members, who had pledged to vote for her, that she would stand aside and endorse Murdo Fraser instead.

According to her version of events, Mr Lamont, who heads the party’s board in charge of vetting election candidates for Holyrood and Westminster, threatened her career prospects.

He is understood to have left the 32 year-old feeling extremely upset and concerned she will be deselected by the party as a candidate for the 2026 Holyrood election.

But, in a statement issued to The Telegraph on Friday, Mr Lamont said: “These claims are defamatory and false. I am now considering further action including legal options.”

His allies said that Mr Lamont had not been involved in telephone canvassing for Mr Findlay and Ms Gallacher could provide no evidence to substantiate the dirty tricks claims as they had “not happened”.

Rather than threaten Ms Gallacher’s career, they said he had told her that they would have to work together whatever the result of the contest.

Her husband has submitted a supporting witness statement alongside her complaint as the call was on loudspeaker, allowing him to hear both sides of the conversation.

Mr Lamont’s allies said another MP was with him during the call who would support his version of events. Ms Gallacher’s and Mr Findlay’s campaigns declined to comment on Mr Carlaw’s intervention.