THE Scottish Tories have been accused of cronyism by a party insider after a top donor was endorsed by Ruth Davidson to become a Holyrood candidate.
Malcolm Offord – a city financier who has donated £147,500 to the Conservatives and bankrolled a No campaign group ahead of the 2014 independence referendum – was given the green light by the former party leader’s candidate committee.
It means Offord’s name will be included in a letter sent to party members with the ballot papers for the Lothians regional list selection.
The endorsements are considered to be a guide for party members as they select list candidates for the upcoming election.
The final decision on who is approved is agreed by Tory officials and rubber stamped by Davidson.
The revelation has angered the party’s rank and file, according to one insider.
A Scottish Conservative source told the Scotsman: “This whole process reeks of cronyism. It seems all you need to get an endorsement is to have deep pockets.
“Some of these candidates have done absolutely no campaigning in the area to help the Conservative cause yet they have been backed by party officials.
“Meanwhile, experienced elected representatives who have worked hard for years have been overlooked.”
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Offord has reportedly been endorsed in the Lothians alongside incumbent MSPs Jeremy Balfour and Miles Briggs, as well as and Edinburgh City councillor Sue Webber and director for Women2Win Scotland Marie-Clair Munro.
The financier also ran for candidacy in Davidson’s Edinburgh Central seat, but was beaten in the party vote by Scott Douglas.
Offord has been a Tory donor for at least 14 years, having gifted £15,000 as recently as November 2019. He has also donated £2500 directly to Michael Gove and £7500 to Conservative peer Philippa Stroud's parliamentary campaign in 2010.
The Greenock-born businessman set up the No Borders Campaign during the Scottish independence referendum, gifting £20,000 to the Unionist organisation.
The organisation was the highest-spending non-party No campaign after Better Together, spending £147,510 on videos, a specially commissioned song, and the VoteNoBorders.co.uk website.
In 2016, No Borders was penalised for failing to file its first financial records with Companies House in time.
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The SNP said it was "no surprise" Davidson was caught up in the cronyism row.
SNP candidate for Edinburgh Western, Sarah Masson, told The National: “Cronyism is rife within the Tories, they can’t help themselves but hand out positions and money to their pals and largest donors.
"This culture simply has to stop. Throughout the pandemic they have handed out contracts to their chums without any competition.
"It comes as no surprise that Baroness Ruth Davidson is practicing handing out titles to Tory pals as she prepares to pull on her ermine cloak in the House of Lords in May with a cushty £300-a-day job."
Offord has also formerly worked for a think tank founded by ex-Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith.
He is currently a director at the Scottish Rugby Union and the chairman of London Scottish since 2017.
A Scottish Tory spokesman commented: "All candidates are judged solely on their merits and rankings are entirely dependent on votes of our supporters across Scotland."
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