I am the fresh-faced leader Scots Tories need, says Meghan Gallacher
Apparently, a 32-year-old woman of working class has stated she is the ‘bright-eyed’<|reserved_special_token_260|> the Scottish Conservatives required and she confirmed her candidacy in the leadership contest.
The next person to officially declare was Meghan Gallacher who has been endorsed as the next Ruth Davidson making the contest thirteen.
Unfortunately, her campaign began on a wrong foot after Holyrood officials asked her to take down an eloquently well-produced campaign video on the social media.
It was the footage of her speaking in the Holyrood chamber which is defiantly in violation with the rules that do not allow the usage of the footage for party political purposes, for instance leadership purposes.
She stands out to be the third person to declare formally her intent to contest, the other contenders being Russell Findlay, the party’s justice spokesman considered to be a favourite, and Brian Whittle, an ex-Olympic athlete and politician.
He added that in her launch video in which she took parts that featured her suggesting that the Scottish Tories were unfit to govern were edited out, she promised the people a ‘new start’ for the party and positioned herself a new/young leader for the party.
Several more candidates are likely to join the contest over the next few days after the party released a shortened election agenda which many claimed is preferential for Mr Findlay.
This colourful lady who must be the only female candidate was formerly a councillor, recently got married to her partner Graeme, and is a mother of a two-year-old daughter.
“The events of the following weeks will determine the further course of the activity of our party,” she said. It means Scotland has an understanding of what we are against, but do they understand what we for?
“This leadership election shan’t be a time for recrimination – it is a chance to reboot – to once again offer ourselves to the people of Scotland and to the members who have supported and endured during the highs and lows. ”
It transpired on Thursday that the next Scottish Tory leader will be declared on September 27 with party officials dismissing debate for a drawn out process.
New nominations for the post will open on Thursday and shall be opened for two weeks ending at noon on August 22.
There are changes in this regard as the candidates will require the nominations of 100 party members to be placed on the ballot.
Another candidate, Jamie Greene, the socially liberal Tory MSP, who may run, criticized the process and said that it was rigged to benefit Mr. Findlay more popular with the party leaders.
He said that the brief contest would complicate the prosecution of a credible campaign for change, outside a “failed status quo.
Sources have claimed that there was a decent discussion among Tory MSPs on the Thursday night where they expressed considerable irritation on the timetable.
Nine days prior to its public launch, those running the leadership campaign for Ms Gallacher received public congratulatory Tweets from several Tory MSPs – many of whom were considering their own run.
As for Ms Gallacher entering the race, Mr Findlay expressed that he was ready for a ‘positive’ campaign.
Referring to Ms Gallacher’s launch video, a Scottish Parliament spokesman said: Currently parliamentary video should not be certified or used for party political or in advertising endorsements We have requested the material be withdrawn.