Liam Kerr has become the fourth MSP to enter the Scottish Tory leadership race as he eyes taking his party out of opposition at Holyrood.
The North East MSP said his leadership could offer a “realistic path to power” with a unified, ideas-driven party.
Mr Kerr, who is the Scottish Tory education spokesman, wrote in the Telegraph that the UK party had suffered a “sobering” defeat in the general election, but noted that no more than 24% of the vote had ever been achieved by the Tories in Holyrood elections.
Writing in the Telegraph, he said: “Going into 2026, we have to present the people of Scotland with a genuinely Conservative programme which gives them a reason to vote for us while also showing a unified, proactive, ideas-led team which presents a realistic path to power.”
The party’s deputy leader Meghan Gallacher also entered the leadership race last week, joining justice spokesman Russell Findlay and former Olympian Brian Whittle.
Across Holyrood, Mr Kerr said, “short-term solutions and temporary fixes dominate”.
He added: “Under my leadership, the Scottish Conservatives will start from the future: a 15-year vision of what a vibrant, prosperous UK and world-leading Scotland will be.
“By presenting that vision of a better Scotland, alongside a holistic, evidence-based, ‘what-works’ strategy to deliver, the people of Scotland will look again at the Scottish Conservatives and give us the chance to work in government.”
“It is difficult to meaningfully do that from opposition. We owe it to the people to seek the power to change Scotland for the better using Conservative principles.
“I have the vision, the strategy and the ability to unify our excellent MSP cohort, with our members and our supporters, into a proposition that will deliver power and allow us to implement our policies in a way we’ve never previously been able to in the devolution era.”
Current leader Douglas Ross announced he would resign during the general election campaign after criticism from his decision to stand as a candidate in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.
The successor will be chosen by the end of September, with nominations opening August 8 and closing on August 22.
The new Scottish Tory leader will be set out months before the UK party’s successor to Rishi Sunak is announced on November 2.
