While the SNP and Labour fight it out to be the dominant force in Scotland, the Tories are on a mission to sort out their ailing brand name and appeal to Scots in a way they have failed to do for many decades. Though there is a lot of work to be done, the party has made a decent start.
When Ruth Davidson took the job of leader, a large chunk of the party had voted to abandon the existing format and set up an independent centre right political movement lead by Murdo Fraser. She made a bad start, getting soundly dismissed at FMQs week in and week out and the party was swaying in the breeze instead of setting the agenda on devolution. The inexperience of Davidson and her team was evident. However as the referendum progressed, this shaky, declining political party began to recover.
At FMQs, Salmond was getting complacent and subsequently began to lose his way- allowing Davidson to claw back lost ground. On the campaign itself she came into her own as a unionist, she seemed to naturally like the message she was campaigning on. Her agreeable personality also began to make it easier for her, cutting a relaxed figure, at ease in the campaign and on message. The wider party was also picking up in its performance too; campaigning for the union was in many ways easier for activists than a normal election.
The whole image of the party changed and by the 18th the Tories were doing well in the polls and Davidson in particular had come out of the referendum as a stronger figure. While Labour slumped and its leader would later resign amidst infighting, the Tories were in good shape. Since then the party has refused to chase Labour or the SNP, but instead carved its own place as a moderate, reforming centre right party.
Why is it good news that the Scottish Tories are growing stronger? The answer is clear, Scotland needs more than one strong unionist party and at a time when Labour are under fire it is reassuring to have another party that will stand up to the SNP. The other good reason is the idea that 'Scotland doesn't vote Tory' can be slowly eroded, this is very much in the interests of the union and Scotland's political debate. Also, there is the fact that more than one SNP seat is actually vulnerable to the Tories if they perform well, interestingly, Pete Wishart could find himself in trouble in Perth if he underestimates them.
For any Labour supporter reading this, saddened by the Tory recovery, its worth remembering that in the long term, its about keeping the UK together and that requires the SNP being defeated time and time again. Labour has a big role to play in that, but so do the Tories. Besides, many Labour activists would rather be competing with the Tories rather than the SNP; crucially the debate would be about what direction the UK should be going and not scrapping on the constitution with Nats who are all to liable abuse and intimidate their opponents.
For her part, Davidson has completed part one, if you like, of her mission. She has kept her party alive and is now leading it into an election where they are likely to increase their seats. In the long run, she will need a membership increase, better known and higher quality team around her, and also a stong showing at Holyrood in 2016. If she can achieve that then the party is well on its way to a proper recovery in Scotland that has eluded it for so long in Scotland.
When Ruth Davidson took the job of leader, a large chunk of the party had voted to abandon the existing format and set up an independent centre right political movement lead by Murdo Fraser. She made a bad start, getting soundly dismissed at FMQs week in and week out and the party was swaying in the breeze instead of setting the agenda on devolution. The inexperience of Davidson and her team was evident. However as the referendum progressed, this shaky, declining political party began to recover.
At FMQs, Salmond was getting complacent and subsequently began to lose his way- allowing Davidson to claw back lost ground. On the campaign itself she came into her own as a unionist, she seemed to naturally like the message she was campaigning on. Her agreeable personality also began to make it easier for her, cutting a relaxed figure, at ease in the campaign and on message. The wider party was also picking up in its performance too; campaigning for the union was in many ways easier for activists than a normal election.
The whole image of the party changed and by the 18th the Tories were doing well in the polls and Davidson in particular had come out of the referendum as a stronger figure. While Labour slumped and its leader would later resign amidst infighting, the Tories were in good shape. Since then the party has refused to chase Labour or the SNP, but instead carved its own place as a moderate, reforming centre right party.
Why is it good news that the Scottish Tories are growing stronger? The answer is clear, Scotland needs more than one strong unionist party and at a time when Labour are under fire it is reassuring to have another party that will stand up to the SNP. The other good reason is the idea that 'Scotland doesn't vote Tory' can be slowly eroded, this is very much in the interests of the union and Scotland's political debate. Also, there is the fact that more than one SNP seat is actually vulnerable to the Tories if they perform well, interestingly, Pete Wishart could find himself in trouble in Perth if he underestimates them.
For any Labour supporter reading this, saddened by the Tory recovery, its worth remembering that in the long term, its about keeping the UK together and that requires the SNP being defeated time and time again. Labour has a big role to play in that, but so do the Tories. Besides, many Labour activists would rather be competing with the Tories rather than the SNP; crucially the debate would be about what direction the UK should be going and not scrapping on the constitution with Nats who are all to liable abuse and intimidate their opponents.
For her part, Davidson has completed part one, if you like, of her mission. She has kept her party alive and is now leading it into an election where they are likely to increase their seats. In the long run, she will need a membership increase, better known and higher quality team around her, and also a stong showing at Holyrood in 2016. If she can achieve that then the party is well on its way to a proper recovery in Scotland that has eluded it for so long in Scotland.