Follow Tory Hoose on Twitter. Read more from this author

In the first of our leadership candidate supporter articles, Michael Kusznir, 2nd year Law student at Aberdeen and Secretary of Aberdeen University Conservatives explains why he will be voting for Jackson Carlaw:

Jackson Carlaw is the only leadership contender who can lead a revival of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.

Jackson has been a member of the party for 35 years at all levels, and he understands the inner workings of our party, and how it must change not superficially but in substance. It is that experience which gives him the ability to lead a revival of our party’s fortunes in Scotland.

In my view a New Labouresque rebranding is simply farcical. The Sanderson Commission rejected it, the Welsh Conservatives rejected it and we must reject it. Anyone who has been out campaigning will know that despite having stopped being the Tories in 1841 we will always be the ‘effing Tories’. It is policy that matters and how we develop it. Where is our policy for the hardworking man and woman who are struggling to buy their first house? Where is our support for the family terrorised by local hoodlums?

Others propose New Unionism- whatever that means day to day, or no more powers to the Scottish Parliament- is that a proper policy? Jackson has tackled the constitutional issue by proposing an early referendum and a new Act of Constitutional Settlement. Allowing the people of Scotland to empower themselves by making the choice between the 300 year old partnership with the rest of the United Kingdom or separation from it. A Constitutional Settlement then allows for a framework to be put in place capable of managing any future proposal for the transfer of powers. We must avoid a yearly commission a la Calman to appease the separatists. Just as we have slid silently into the ‘EUSSR’ we must not wake up one day and find ourselves independent in all but name.

Unlike the other candidates Jackson has begun to flesh out policies beyond the constitution. Jackson has illustrated how his long experience in the party does not equate to the status quo by changing his response on minimum pricing, and proposing term limits for list MSPs. We were right to be sceptical on minimum pricing, but our unflinchingly dogmatic stance in the last Parliament was out of touch with public attitudes. Support for this bill is not a watering down of Conservative values. We are a party of small government and for that we must seek to deal with the social ills which cost this country dearly- both economically and at the cost to the individual. Minimum pricing is said to punish responsible adults who drink in moderation. True. But responsible drinkers are paying heavily for the consequences of alcohol abuse in all of its forms – through policing costs where over 60% of all Strathclyde police call outs are alcohol related and through the costs to the NHS- over £2bn per annum. Jackson’s suggestion to use the windfall profits to generate new money to fund abstinence programmes is a means to use minimum pricing to tackle Scotland’s culture of alcohol dependency.

Term limits on list MSPs will allow new talent to be able to enter the Scottish Parliament. Limits allow for a career in Parliament to still be an attractive option while opposing statism. To me others may seem radical but their desired reforms seem to be more of the same. Jackson is laying down policy and a process to develop future policy which is inclusive, in which you and I can have a say. That is how we will make progress.

Murdo Fraser has argued for a separate party and new name under ‘New Unionism’. All new bar the fact those who are backing him only seem to be doing so as a SOS call – ‘Save Our Skin’. Ruth Davidson is selling herself as a Kennedyesque figure, a Glasgow Obama. Fair enough. Jackson has argued for better policy development, more in line with the hardworking man and woman, and a new Constitutional Settlement. Election winning policies backed by an election winning party organisation. Ultimately I will support whoever is elected but I remain to be convinced that unlike Jackson the other candidates are willing to implement changes that deal with the rot in our party.

By the way, for sake of allegations of bias let me say, I am a part time member of Jackson’s Parliamentary staff. Unlike others who bloviated against Murdo Fraser’s separatist agenda for the Scottish Conservatives on Newsnight, I value media transparency.