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Sir Malcolm Rifkind, MP for Kensington & Chelsea and former Foreign Secretary, Defence Secretary, Transport Secretary and Scottish Secretary, and former MP for Edinburgh Pentlands, has made the following statement in support of Murdo Fraser’s candidacy:

“I am very happy to give my personal endorsement to Murdo in offering himself as Scottish Party Leader.

“His proposal for the Scottish Conservatives to be transformed into a new Scottish centre right party is a bold and brave move of the sort that is needed if we are to be successful once again in Scotland and ensure that the Union is saved.

“Murdo has shown real honesty and leadership quality in putting forward these radical proposals before he has been elected as Leader so that the Party can have the open and mature debate that is crucial not just for its health but that of Scotland.

“I believe that his proposals are the right direction for our party. When I first became active in the 1960s we called ourselves Scottish Unionists. The Party organisation was separate from that in England as was the voluntary side of the Party.

“These were the years when we achieved more than 50% of the Scottish vote and had 20-30 MPs in the House of Commons but the last 30 to 40 years have been painful for the party.

“A change of name can make sense when there is the rebirth of a party. Sir Walter Scott, John Buchan and Sir Alec Douglas Home were proud to be Scottish Unionists. They served Scotland and the United Kingdom in their time. We must maintain our values and beliefs but never fear to move with the times.”

Commenting, Murdo said:

“Sir Malcolm is one of the most distinguished servants our party has ever had. During the previous government he inhabited some of the highest offices of state and carried out his duties with the expertise and distinction to which we have become accustomed.

“I’m truly humbled that Sir Malcolm has chosen to endorse my candidacy. He has seen a lot of change in our party, from our time as a successful, distinctly Scottish party called the Scottish Unionists to the pain we have suffered since devolution.

“Sir Malcolm realises that the game has changed since devolution and in order to save our movement and our Union we have to change too.”

ENDS