Scottish Tories could break from UK party to ‘detoxify’ Conservative brand

Even staunch opponents of the idea of a new party acknowledged that Mr Fraser would be “the man to beat” should he declare his candidacy, given his name recognition and standing among the grassroots. He is believed to be in the US on a family holiday, but is weighing up his options.

“Everybody is taking stock but I think Murdo probably will stand,” said Liz Smith, a  veteran Scottish Tory MSP who previously backed Mr Fraser.

“We have suffered from the various problems at Westminster, not least a perception of a lack of integrity and trust. A lot of voters believed the party down south had not behaved well. So a separate party has to be part of the mix.

“Times have moved on, and there is still validity to Murdo’s call. Everybody recognises it was his brainchild. There is a very strong case for a centre-Right conservative party in Scotland with its own principles and its own identity.”

Another Scottish Tory MSP said they expected Mr Fraser to stand and put forward his new party plan, or a variation of it.

“Murdo has been pushing this for years, so he’ll see this as his big chance,” said the MSP. “He’ll have to be careful about how it is pitched, as our members are proud of the party and won’t want to hear they’re part of a toxic brand. But there’s no doubt that we have been dragged down by the UK party.”