Local Conservative activist and serial candidate Iain McGill appeared on the BBC's Newsnight Scotland last night.
He was one of 3 guests reacting to prospective leader Murdo Fraser's promise to bring in 'fresh blood' and 'curate' the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party towards a new identity, in the process changing its name.
McGill was unimpressed. He described Fraser as 'out on a limb', a failed establishment figure who was proposing an 'unquantifiable party without any name or members'.
He asserted that merely rebranding the party without policy 'meat on the bones' would not be enough. A name change 100 years ago had not stopped the Conservatives still being known today as Tories.
McGill favours instead a 'positively Euro-sceptic, pro-small government, low-tax party'.
Asked whether Fraser should leave, McGill said that the list MSP's strategy was 'win or bust without much room for manoeuvre'. (For which we read: And shut the door behind you.)
All agreed that Conservatives north of the border are in for a prolonged period of navel gazing.
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Reader Paul Burgess commented on Facebook: 'Very short sighted decision. The Tories need to make a bold move to shake off their Thatcher image. A complete rebrand and new distinctive Scottish policies. Otherwise they are doomed to always being a minority party in Scotland. Think again please!'
Twitter comments read as follows:
IainMcGill Iain McGill
@dhothersall @thespurtle been called worse...