Bothwell Tory Margaret Mitchell joins race for leadership of Scottish Conservatives Party

Sep 29 2011 Hamilton Advertiser

BOTHWELL Tory Margaret Mitchell has joined the race to become leader of the Scottish Conservatives.

She made the announcement last Friday after securing the required 150 nominations in 36 hours.

The 58-year-old former Hamilton District and South Lanarkshire councillor will launch her leadership campaign tonight (Thursday) at Hamilton Racecourse.

Her rivals for the post are Glasgow Regional List MSP Ruth Davidson, West of Scotland MSP Jackson Carlaw and Deputy Leader of the party Murdo Fraser.

The four candidates will appeal for support from the Scottish Conservatives 8500 members at 13 hustings meeting across Scotland, and the results of the leadership poll will be announced on November 4.

Mrs Mitchell and her rivals are bidding to succeed Annabel Goldie who resigned as Tory Leader in Scotland just days after May’s Scottish Parliament elections when the party’s representation fell from 17 to 15 seats.

Mrs Mitchell is a former school teacher who is married to South Lanarkshire Tory councillor, Henry Mitchell.

She told the Advertiser that she decided to bid for the leadership after concluding that none of the other candidates had voiced the right formula to restore the party’s fortunes.

“I never wanted to be leader and was hoping someone would come along and I could say ‘yes’ I will get behind him or her,” she said.

“But the others seemed to be looking very inwardly.

“They were suggesting that we change the party name, change the party itself – give it a fresh face,

“My view, though, is that politics are all about people and the people couldn’t care less about internal changes.

“The way forward for me and other people is to make us the party that people look towards to solve their problems.

“From that I hope we will get their trust and respect and encourage them to vote for us.”

Mrs Mitchell described herself as a committed Unionist and against measures in the Scotland Bill 2011 to devolve to the Scottish Parliament powers to levy up to 10p in the pound income tax in return for a cut in Scotland’s grant from the UK Government.

“This could end up costing Scotland £800m and at this time, when people are concerned about jobs and mortgages, I don’t think it should go ahead,” she added.

Asked whether she could take on Alex Salmond at the weekly First Ministers questions in the Scottish Parliament, Mrs Mitchell admitted she was “not a flamboyant orator”.

She added, however: “People are sick and tired of the slapstick and theatre that you see every Thursday.

“We are in dire straits and it’s time to pin Alex Salmond down on the issues that matter.

“I will not be clever or witty or smart – I will be arguing people issues and holding him to account for what they are doing.

“I am independent-minded and I can lead.”

Hamilton councillor John Murray, chairman of Lanark and Hamilton East Conservatives, admitted that Mrs Mitchell’s decision to stand for the leadership came as a shock to him.

He added: “It is a very brave thing to do because it will mean a lot of work.

“But Margaret is a driven person who is very focussed on what she does.”