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Jackson Carlaw MSP has said that, if he is elected Leader, sitting MSPs will no longer be able to stand for election to Westminster unless they resign from Holyrood at the point of their selection.

Speaking at a Conservative lunch in Glasgow to about 40 members on Monday, Jackson said:

“It is a tremendous privilege to be elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament. With even more responsibility set to transfer to Holyrood as a result of the Scotland Act it is also, more than ever, a full time job.”

“Given the additional responsibilities coming to the Scottish Parliament, I think it would be inappropriate for sitting Conservative MSPs to campaign in future elections to Westminster as candidates while continuing to serve as MSPs. Nor should taxpayers be underwriting campaigns for Westminster while paying MSPs to serve the interests of their constituents at Holyrood. The job of MSPs is to hold the government of Scotland to account and in a Scottish Parliament dominated by the SNP this is more vital than ever.”

“I want to lead a group of Scottish Conservative MSPs fully and exclusively committed to the job in hand.” “If those of us privileged enough to serve in the Scottish Parliament see ourselves in future as sitting in the waiting room for Westminster then is it any wonder that the people we seek to serve view us with disdain and contempt? We can’t ask our fellow Scots to take us seriously if we don’t take ourselves seriously.”

“So in future, if I am elected Leader, Conservative MSPs wishing to stand for choice to Westminster will have to resign from Holyrood on their selection as a candidate for Westminster by a constituency Conservative Association.”

“Together with my proposal to set term limits for List MSPs, I am determined to create real opportunities for the emerging generation of Scottish Conservative talent.”

Further to this, in answer to questions as to the momentum of his leadership campaign, Jackson responded by stating that if it was an endorsement contest then he would be losing, but he made a point that it was more about appealing to the ordinary members of the party, not ‘celebrities’. According to people who attended the lunch, Jackson’s speech went down well. How many people he will have convinced as a result remains to be seen, but in the words of one of Murdo Fraser’s supporters, “if the reception Jackson received today is anything to go by, it is still very much a three horse race.”