Excluding media from Scottish Tory leadership hustings 'disappointing'

Reports of the media being excluded from Scottish Conservative leadership hustings are “disappointing”, one of the contenders has said.

The party is currently in the process of electing Douglas Ross’s replacement in the top job, with six candidates already declared.

Reports emerged on Tuesday that the media will be excluded from hustings events where those in the running will seek to persuade party members to back them.

But the party said media arrangements for hustings would be announced after “consulting with all of the candidates”.

The Scottish Tories were among those who attacked the SNP over its exclusion of journalists during its leadership contest last year – a position that was eventually reversed.

Posting on social media site X, Tory candidate Murdo Fraser said the media should be allowed access to the events.

“This is a disappointing decision,” he said.

“As a candidate, I would be happy to see the media invited to at least one of our hustings.

“Our messages need to get out to the wider public, not just our own @ScotTories members.”

Fellow candidate Liam Kerr described Mr Fraser’s post as “correct”.

Russell Findlay is a former journalist now in the running for the Scottish Tory leadership. PA Media

Russell Findlay – who was a well-regarded journalist before becoming an MSP and leadership hopeful – concurred.

“As a former journalist, I’m pro-transparency,” he posted.

“It’s up to our members but I’d support media access to hustings.”

A spokesman for the party said: “The hustings are arranged to enable party members to question the candidates so that they can make an informed choice on who to vote for as leader.

“The party will announce the format for hustings, and arrangements for media access to them, after consulting with all of the candidates.”

In the race for the SNP leadership between Humza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan in 2023, Scottish Tory chairman Craig Hoy was among those to criticise the decision to initially exclude journalists, saying party bosses were “desperate for their internal civil war to be conducted in private, rather than airing their dirty linen in public”.

He accused the party of having a “cowardly and paranoid media blackout”, adding: “This is nothing short of a disgrace when a new SNP leader – and ultimately first minister – will be in place in just a few weeks’ time.

“The party have adopted a ‘nothing to see here’ attitude when the public ultimately want to see the three candidates to replace Nicola Sturgeon properly scrutinised on their plans for Scotland.

“The SNP are famed for their lack of transparency but this really takes the biscuit. They have laughably said by excluding the media that these events will be a safe space for members. What do they think the media are going to do to them?”