Liz Truss backed campaign for Scottish Conservatives to split from UK party

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A contender to become the next Conservative Prime Minister once backed a campaign for the Scottish Tories to split from the UK party.

Right-winger Liz Truss congratulated MSP Murdo Fraser after he mounted a leadership campaign in 2011 based on a breakaway. A new centre-right party that would compete in Scottish elections is again being discussed at senior levels if Boris Johnson clings on as PM.

Truss, currently Foreign Secretary, was supported by Tory members to be the next leader in a recent survey by the Conservative Home website.Bookmaker Paddy Power is offering odds of 9/2 for her to take over if Johnson is toppled.She and Chancellor Rishi Sunak are expected to go head–to-head in any contest.The Record can reveal she was enthusiastic about a controversial campaign in 2011 for the Scottish Tories to effectively set up a new party.The contest to become Scottish leader was between Ruth Davidson and Fraser, who championed the idea.In October 2011, Fraser tweeted details of a meeting in London at which he briefed MPs on his ground zero proposals.Truss responded: “When and where is this meeting?”A day later Truss tweeted Fraser’s official campaign account: “Saw Murdo yesterday afternoon.

Great campaign!”Davidson’s opposition is believed to have won her the crown, but Johnson’s antics have put the idea back in the spotlight.Another senior Tory to back Fraser at the time was George Eustice, who is now Johnson’s Environment Secretary in Cabinet.He wrote in 2011: “It would be an audacious plan, but one that the party should seriously consider.”He added: “Any new party would be a unionist party but potentially a more vibrant and successful one.”Scottish Secretary Alister Jack was also enthusiastic about the Fraser shakeup.