Barring some sort of paranormal intervention, this morning we will see Russell Findlay announced as the new leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. The contest has been relatively short, yet remarkably cantankerous. Even those of us, including me, who have been around this peevish party since the start of devolution, have never experienced a leadership election quite like this one.

There is little more that can be said which is so far unsaid. The candidates have conducted themselves well, but those acting, or claiming to act, on a candidate’s behalf, are in the mud. Friendships are over. Respect is lost. But, in the final analysis, the party’s establishment wanted Mr Findlay, and the party establishment has a habit of getting what it wants by any means necessary.

The behaviour of a few chiefs is emphatically not the fault of Mr Findlay, but sweeping up the broken glass will now become his responsibility, and ensuring he does not cut his feet will become his challenge.

Read more by Andy Maciver

Mr Findlay’s impending internal trouble in bringing his group of inflamed MSPs together will unhappily coincide with a requirement to hold on to as many of their 31 seats as possible, and as much of the 23 per cent vote share they enjoyed in 2021 (in July’s General Election, they polled fully 10 per cent less).

The likelihood of Mr Findlay being successful at the ballot box is extremely low, principally because the high watermark of 2021 was based on conditions which no longer exist. The correlation between heightened tensions over independence and........

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