Russell Findlay’s first task as the new leader of the Scottish Conservatives will be to bring his party back together.
It’s been a bruising few months for Tories north of the border.
Former leader Douglas Ross left amid a row over candidate selections – and ultimately failed to take any Commons seats.
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The leadership race hasn’t been much rosier, with briefing and backbiting between the various camps.
But in the long run, the bigger challenge is the looming elections to the Scottish Parliament in 18 months time.
Russell Findlay enters his new job as leader of the largest opposition party in Holyrood.
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Russell Findlay replaces Douglas Ross as new leader of the Scottish Conservatives
That may not last, though.
The general election saw the Tories’ share of the vote in Scotland cut in half.
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Under the UK parliamentary voting system, that only translated into one seat loss.
The more proportional Holyrood system wouldn’t have been so kind.
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With Labour seemingly in the ascendancy, the threat to the Union fading as a rallying cause, and Reform snapping at their heels, the new Scottish Tory leader has a mountain to climb.
