Russell Findlay distances himself from Kemi Badenoch defector comments

Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay has distanced himself from comments by the national party’s leader who claimed defections were a “good thing”.

Kemi Badenoch faced journalists in Edinburgh on Friday after her first address to the Scottish Tory conference since taking over the job.

Her first appearance came amid a stream of defections from the Tories, mainly to Reform UK, with one MSP – Jamie Greene – moving to the Liberal Democrats.

While Mr Findlay has generally been conciliatory when elected members announce plans to move, Ms Badenoch said the departures were a “good thing” because those who left “don’t believe in conservatism”.

Speaking to the PA news agency on Saturday, after his own inaugural address to the Scottish party conference, Mr Findlay said: “I’m always disappointed when I see anyone choosing to the leave the party for whatever reason.

“The reasons are varied and I can’t get inside the minds of everyone who might choose to do so.”

Asked if he agreed with the “good riddance” attitude of Ms Badenoch, he said: “I would never say that about anyone that chooses to go elsewhere.

“It’s more of a disappointment than anything else.”

The UK party leader also told journalists she did not understand how someone could vote for the Scottish Government’s blocked gender reform proposals in 2022 and call themselves a conservative, in a direct attack on Mr Greene.

But two of the party’s MSPs, frontbencher Dr Sandesh Gulhane and former leader Jackson Carlaw, voted for the legislation.

Asked if he believed the pair were conservatives, Mr Findlay said: “Of course they are conservatives and they have realised that they got that vote wrong.”

The Scottish Tory leader also hit out at Mr Greene, who has accused him of “undoing Ruth Davidson’s broad-church conservativism in favour of right-wing propaganda” on the same day Mr Findlay sat down with the former leader.