THE Scottish Tories have been criticised by activists over gender equality after it emerged women account for less than a quarter of the party's Holyrood candidates.

Only 16 women are featured on the list of Tory candidates contesting 73 constituency seats for the Holyrood election in May.

Currently 80% of Tory MSPs are male, with 24 out of 30 representatives, and a similar proportion is expected in the next Parliament.

The party opted against gender-balancing selection despite only 11 of the 58 Tory MSPs elected since the birth of devolution in 1999, having been women.

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Former Tory MSP Mary Scanlon told the Sunday Times: “The party needs to re-examine its strategy and look at how women can be more valued and supported to enable them to be selected.

“It can only be to our electoral advantage.”

A party activist from the west of Scotland claimed several impressive potential female candidates were dismissed through the selection system, in favour of incumbents.

She said: “Women are the backbone of the activist base and many who came forward could have knocked the socks off current MSPs.

“The party should have endorsed fewer sitting members, and promoted new female talent.”

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In contast, the SNP introduced a 50-50 gender balancing mechanism in their selection of candidates.

Additionally, women top seven of Labour’s eight regional lists.  

A Tory spokesman commented: “We recognise there is still a lot of work to be done but we are aiming to elect more women than ever before and our first BAME MSPs.”