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Murdo Fraser’s campaign has today released the names of 46 Scottish Conservative Councillors who have, this week, pledged support for his plan to build a new party for Scotland.

The list includes the Leaders of the Conservative Groups on Dumfries & Galloway, Edinburgh, Perth & Kinross, Fife and Aberdeenshire Councils. Murdo already has the support of 6 MSPs in Holyrood and a number of significant party figures including Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Struan Stevenson MEP.

Murdo said:

“I am delighted that, this early in the campaign, I have secured the support of so many councillors with many others indicating they will also be supporting me.

“These are the men and women who are on the ground, fighting for their local communities and promoting our values.  They know more than anyone how difficult it is to expand our party’s appeal in the face of the identity problem we have.

“Polling before the last election showed us that only 6% of people think we put Scottish issues first, and brand new polling has told us that a new party with a Scottish identity would have a very positive effect.

“Our new party will be focussed on rejuvenation from the grass roots up.  That means practising what we preach in terms of devolving power to communities and families. We will invest in our local organisations, give them greater freedom in candidate selection and enhance the role of our councillors.

“Localism will be at the heart of the new party’s agenda.  Councillors will be the rock on which the revival of our party is built, and I’m honoured to have such a large number of them on my side.”

The following Councillors have declared their support for Murdo Fraser:

Councillor      Council Cllr Alan Donnelly     Aberdeen City

Cllr Marcus Humphrey (Group Leader)  Aberdeenshire
Cllr Jim Gifford
Cllr Ron McKail
Cllr George Carr

Cllr Jim Millar      Angus  Cllr John Whyte

Cllr Donald Kelly     Argyll & Bute

Cllr Jeremy Balfour (Group Leader)  City of Edinburgh
Cllr Cameron Rose
Cllr Jason Rust
Cllr Alistair Paisley
Cllr Joanna Mowat
Cllr Iain Whyte
Cllr Kate Mackenzie

Cllr David Meikle      City of Glasgow

Cllr Alistair Campbell    Clackmannanshire

Cllr Ivor Hyslop (Group Leader)   Dumfries and Galloway
Cllr Peter Duncan
Cllr John Dougan
Cllr Denis Male
Cllr Jack Groom
Cllr John Charteris
Cllr Gillian Dykes
Cllr John Bell
Cllr Roberta Tuckfield
Cllr Patsy Gilroy

Cllr Anne Jarvis     East Dunbartonshire

Cllr Dave Dempsey (Group Leader)  Fife
Cllr Dorothea Morrison
Cllr Ron Caird

Cllr Elizabeth Marshall     North Ayrshire

Cllr Alexander Stewart (Group Leader)  Perth & Kinross
Cllr Mac Roberts
Cllr Kathleen Baird
Cllr Caroline Shiers
Cllr Heather Stewart
Cllr Murray Lyle
Cllr Dennis Melloy
Cllr Ian Campbell
Cllr Ann Cowan

Cllr Callum Campbell    Stirling Cllr Neil Benny

Cllr Hywel Davies     South Ayrshire

Cllr Len Wyse      Scottish Borders

Cllr Graeme Campbell    South Lanarkshire