A CALL is being made to the Scottish Conservative conference next month urging it to split from the UK party and set up as a separate organisation.
It follows tensions between the UK and Scottish party over Brexit and the prospect a hardline Eurosceptic such as Boris Johnson could succeed Theresa May as Prime Minister.
Last week The National revealed a discussion about a breakaway party north of the Border is under way among senior figures in the wake of concerns over Johnson – currently the frontrunner to succeed May.
A Tory leadership contest is looming after the embattled PM promised her MPs – many of whom are angry over her Brexit strategy – that she will stand aside if her EU divorce agreement is passed in the Commons.
Now it has emerged that a motion has been submitted to the party’s spring conference to change its constitution to remove affiliation from UK party. Party member James Robb has submitted it for consideration.
The development was reported yesterday by Holyrood Magazine which said it understood that Robb is a former SNP Argyll and Bute councillor who resigned from the party after being deselected in 2017.
It said that under Robb’s proposal, the Scottish Conservative constitution would promise to pursue “Scotland’s best interests, [commit] to Scotland’s continuing membership of the United Kingdom and appropriate support for [a] Conservative government of the United Kingdom”.
A Scottish Conservative spokesman said the party would not comment on internal business.
READ MORE: Cross-party MPs call for any Tory-Labour Brexit deal to be put to the people
The motion has gone to party chiefs organising the conference agenda and may not be selected for debate during the two-day event in Aberdeen on May 3 and 4.
In 2011 shadow Scottish finance secretary Murdo Fraser put forward proposals for a separate Scottish Tory party in his leadership bid against Ruth Davidson.
A poll commissioned by Conservative Home at the time suggested developing a more distinct identity, with different policies from the rest of the UK Conservative Party, could provide an electoral boost and help it appeal to younger Scots.
The survey of 1030 Scottish voters found that 33% thought the change would have a positive affect while 20% thought it would have a negative effect. People aged 18 to 24 were most positive, by 43% to 15%. Forty per cent of all Scots think the change would make no difference.
But Fraser, who represents Mid Scotland and Fife as an MSP, was defeated in the contest to take charge of the party.
A majority of Scottish MPs and MSPs would have to back the proposal and it would also have to be endorsed by the grassroots.
“Murdo’s Way Forward plan wasn’t a goer in 2011, but it depends what happens now, one senior insider told The National on Saturday. “There were people who were sceptical then, who might be more open to it in the event we ended up with someone like Boris as Prime Minister.”
Earlier this week Scottish MP John Lamont was forced to deny claims he is backing Johnson to replace May.
READ MORE: Scottish Tory MP forced to deny he backs Boris Johnson as next PM
The MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk was named as a Johnson supporter in a Sunday Telegraph article analysing the runners and riders in the race to become the next Tory leader.
The article, written by former Tory advisor Iain Dale, said Johnson was “depressed by how few MPs are willing to publicly back him”.
It then listed Lamont alongside Jacob Rees-Mogg, Andrew Bridgen and a handful of others.
But taking to Twitter, Lamont wrote: “Returned from my run to discover my phone filling up with messages about this newspaper article.
“Perhaps if the newspaper had checked with me first I could have confirmed that when there’s a leadership contest I won’t be backing Mr Johnson.”
“Sorry @BorisJohnson” he added.
Dale apologised “for any embarrassment caused” but insisted claims of Lamont’s support “came from one of Boris’s chief cheerleaders”.
Reportedly, internal polling shows that Johnson as PM would reverse Tory gains made in Scotland at the last General Election, losing the party 12 Westminster seats.
Scottish Secretary David Mundell has previously spoken out publicly against Johnson, warning that his former Cabinet colleague was “not an asset” to the party in Scotland.
In 2017, Scottish Tory leader Davidson described Daily Telegraph reports that party aides were looking at a split as “B****cks”.
“Folk might remember I fought a leadership election on the other side of that particular argument…” she tweeted.
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