A rich donor who bankrolled Russell Findlay’s successful Scottish Tory leadership bid was appointed party chairman weeks later. Tycoon Alasdair Locke gave Findlay’s campaign £25,000 before landing the prized role in the party’s top team.
Scottish Labour leader Jackie Baillie said: “Russell Findlay likes to go on about cleaning up politics but this revelation will raise eyebrows. Mr Findlay needs to come clean over this and explain why it isn’t a case of cronyism.”
Findlay became leader in September after defeating fellow MSPs Meghan Gallacher and Murdo Fraser. He promised “change” after years of Tory ethics scandals and claimed “decency” had “gone missing” from Scottish politics.
But the West of Scotland MSP is facing questions by Labour after his key donor was installed as the party’s most senior unelected official.
Findlay raised £31,000 in donations during a leadership race marked by bitterness and rancour. Locke’s £25,000 gift on September 5th accounted for over 80% of all the donations Findlay received. The same man was then unveiled as Scottish Tory chairman on November 16th.
A Scottish Tory source said: “The appointment of Alasdair Locke as chairman is as predictable as it is depressing.”
Locke, who is chairman of Motor Fuel Group and First Property Group, has donated over £1m to the Tories since 2017. He is also the former executive chairman of Abbot Group, a leading oil and gas business.
Findlay said on Saturday: “Alasdair is recognised as one of Scotland’s leading entrepreneurs and we’re fortunate to welcome such a senior business leader as our chairman. His long-running support for our party has been unparalleled and I look forward to working with him even more closely in the future.”
Locke said in the same Scottish Tory press release: “I’m very pleased to accept this position and I’m looking forward to helping Russell as he takes on the left-wing parties at Holyrood and challenges the Labour government at Westminster.
“It’s a privilege to be appointed as chairman and I’m determined to deliver necessary changes to our party, so we can elect the maximum number of Scottish Conservative representatives as possible at every opportunity. Under Russell’s leadership, I know we can earn the trust of voters across Scotland and achieve successful results in the 2026 and 2027 elections.”
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