Russell Findlay, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, stood before party activists, Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), and journalists in Glasgow on Monday, August 25, 2025, his sun-kissed complexion belying the stormy political forecast he faces. With the Scottish Parliament set to return from summer recess next week, Findlay’s address was anything but a relaxed homecoming. Instead, it was his first public appearance since the resignation of Lothian MSP Jeremy Balfour last Friday—a blow that has cast a long shadow over his ten-month tenure at the helm of the party.
Balfour’s departure marks the second such defection since Findlay succeeded Douglas Ross as party leader, and it has ignited a debate over the Scottish Conservatives’ direction and stability. In his resignation letter, Balfour did not mince words, accusing the party leadership of lacking interest in “genuine policy innovation, particularly across the Social Justice and Social Security portfolio.” According to The Scotsman, Balfour declared, “They refuse to engage with a hard subject, either because they have no interest, or they don’t understand the problem. Neither is acceptable.”
Findlay, for his part, attributed the disagreement to a fundamental split over social security spending. “Jeremy has expressed concern about Scotland’s social security benefit. He believes that benefits should rise. Our party has recognised that it’s unsustainable,” Findlay told reporters, as cited by The Scotsman. He admitted, “Obviously, I’m disappointed. Jeremy’s expressed concern about Scotland’s social security benefit. He believes that it should rise. Our party has recognised that it’s unsustainable.” But Balfour’s critique went deeper, warning that the Tories have “fallen into the trap of reactionary politics,” with policy “dictated by what other parties are saying and chasing cheap headlines.”
Findlay’s speech, intended to set out a bold “common sense” agenda, was quickly overshadowed by repeated questions about his grip on the party and its future. He set out three key policies: banning Scottish Government civil servants from furthering the case for independence, cutting quangos, and devolving as-yet unspecified powers to local councils. These proposals, he argued, would restore integrity and efficiency to Scottish governance. Yet, the sense of urgency was palpable. “Just because things are tough, doesn’t mean that we leave the pitch. We have to re-double our efforts because what we stand for is correct,” Findlay insisted, as reported by The Scotsman.
Despite the turbulence, Findlay was adamant that he would not step down, even if the Tories were to fall behind Nigel Farage’s Reform party in the next year’s Scottish Parliament elections. “Our main rivals are the rotten SNP. I’m going to move heaven and earth to get them out in May. I’m here to stay,” he declared, pushing back against speculation about his future. He further accused Reform of being “a party that is happy with seeing another SNP government,” pointing to comments from Farage and his associates. “Reform has also said they would like to see the destruction of the Conservative party. So it’s impossible for our party to have any form of participation with them,” Findlay added.
The threat from Reform is not mere speculation. Professor Sir John Curtice, speaking at The Herald’s Unspun Live event, suggested that Reform could potentially leapfrog the Tories to become the second-largest party in Scotland next year—despite having no current MSPs and only a fledgling campaign infrastructure. Persistent rumors swirl that a defection to Reform from within Holyrood could happen soon, raising the stakes for Findlay and his embattled leadership.
Findlay’s critics, including Balfour, argue that the party’s woes are not simply a matter of policy, but also of presentation and conviction. Balfour lamented that the leadership “made it clear that they have no interest in grappling with the issue” of social security, suggesting a reluctance to tackle complex and uncomfortable subjects. In his speech, Findlay himself derided the Scottish National Party (SNP) ministers for making statements in Holyrood that are “light on detail”—a charge that some, including Balfour, believe could just as easily be leveled at the Tories.
Pressed on his strategy to stem the tide of resignations and rebuild trust, Findlay acknowledged the scale of the challenge. “When I became leader 10 months or so ago, I was told that the party needed a change. A lot of our members were frustrated about what we were talking about—about what they saw as a lack of clear pride in Conservatives values and policies. That’s what we have been doing. We make no apology for that. We said that we would change,” he said, as quoted by The Scotsman. “When I took over, we could see that people were sick of the party. We suffered an appalling general election result. We came in on the back of that and it’s inevitable it will take time both at a Scottish level and across the UK to rebuild trust with the public—even for the right to be heard again by the public.”
Findlay’s attempts to pivot the conversation toward policy were repeatedly challenged by questions on immigration and the recent far-right protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers. Initially describing immigration as a “reserved matter,” Findlay eventually conceded that people have “understandable concern.” He went further, telling reporters, “We’ve seen instances, horrific cases, where a young female in Scotland was raped by someone who come to this country illegally, having made their way through numerous safe European countries. It’s understandable, in those circumstances, why communities would question the entire integrity and safety of the immigration system. As long as that is being done lawfully and respectfully, that is entirely right.”
Findlay also accused the SNP government of “actively peddling false information” and described the Scottish Parliament as a “performative parliament,” often wasting taxpayers’ money. He charged that the SNP had “nurtured an obedient machinery of state to do their bidding,” including “yes men and women” in the public sector and a “network of left-wing lobbyists acting as gatekeepers.” These remarks, echoing some of the rhetoric employed by Farage’s Reform party, were aimed at galvanizing the Conservative base while fending off the challenge from both the SNP and Reform.
Throughout, Findlay emphasized the need for the Conservatives to “build credibility, to be honest with people to even get a hearing again.” He acknowledged the party’s bruising recent history, including a disastrous general election result, but insisted that renewal was possible with hard work and clear communication. “We’re putting in the hard yards understanding and explaining where we did things wrong and explaining what we will do in what’s going to be a critical election next year,” he said.
As the Scottish Parliament prepares for a critical year, the fate of the Scottish Conservatives—and their embattled leader—hangs in the balance. With the specter of further defections, a resurgent Reform party, and a dominant SNP, Findlay faces perhaps the toughest political fight of his career. Whether his “common sense” agenda can win back trust and stem the party’s losses remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the coming months will be anything but sunny for Scotland’s Tories.
