Scottish Tory leadership contender Murdo Fraser has been accused of a “Trojan horse” attempt to break up the party.

The Mid Scotland and Fife MSP proposed in 2011 the party break away from its UK counterpart during the leadership race eventually won by Ruth Davidson.

Announcing his bid this week, Mr Fraser said he no longer favoured the move, but would set up a commission to assess the relationship between the parties north and south of the border.

The veteran MSP joined Russell Findlay, Brian Whittle, deputy leader Meghan Gallacher, Liam Kerr and Jamie Greene in the race, with nominations opening on Thursday.

But Shadow Scottish Secretary John Lamont hit out at the idea, in the first blue-on-blue attack of the leadership campaign in Scotland, on the same day nominations for the role open.

Writing in the Daily Mail newspaper, Mr Lamont said: “As it stands, this looks like a commission to separate our party.

“It looks like a Trojan horse for splitting the party and raises more questions than it answers.

“Will we really go into the 2026 Holyrood election and ask voters to back us today, even though we might not exist as a party after that?”

Murdo Fraser
Murdo Fraser said he would not be ‘indulging’ in attacks on colleagues (Fraser Bremner/Daily Mail/PA)

He added: “If it’s a Trojan horse to divide the party, then members should know that upfront.

“If it’s just an attempt to avoid being straight about his position in this leadership contest, that’s not right.

“As Ruth Davidson said a few weeks ago, a divided party is a short route to electoral suicide.”

Mr Lamont served as Ruth Davidson’s campaign manager when she defeated Mr Fraser more than a decade ago.

Despite his comments, the Shadow Scottish Secretary warned against Tory candidates attacking each other during the contest.

“It’s important to avoid ‘blue-on-blue attacks’ in this contest, so I was a little dismayed to see Murdo’s campaign launch include strident criticism of Douglas Ross and his team which, of course, includes Meghan Gallacher, one of the candidates in this race, and several other MSP colleagues,” he wrote.

Mr Fraser used his campaign launch video to say Conservative members have been “let down” by leadership north and south of the border in recent years.

It is not clear which of the six candidates Mr Lamont is backing in the race, although he described deputy leader Meghan Gallacher as a “rising star” in the party and said it was not “appropriate” for a senior MSP such as Mr Fraser to “criticise her personally, even if it was indirectly”.

Responding on X – formerly Twitter – Mr Fraser said: “I won’t be indulging in blue-on-blue attacks on other candidates or misrepresenting their platforms in the @ScotTories leadership race, and I am disappointed that others don’t seem to be taking the same approach. Whoever wins we need to have a united party to go move forward.”

Mr Lamont’s comments were also criticised by leadership candidate Brian Whittle – who said he was “disappointed that John has decided to try and create division where non exists”.

Senior MSP Stephen Kerr said the proposal for a commission was supported by all leadership candidates except Russell Findlay, adding: “There’s nothing Trojan horse about it.

“The party members would have the final say on the commission’s recommendations, not the party leader. But you know that.”

MSPs in the running to replace Douglas Ross will need 100 nominations by noon on August 22 to make it onto the membership ballot, with a number of hustings due to take place across the country and virtually.

Ballots close on September 26, with the winner announced the following day.