Blow for new Scot Tory leader as poll shows voters less likely to vote for someone who endorsed Liz Truss

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have today described new polling as a “bitter blow” for the new Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay, as polling carried out by Savanta showed that 31% of Scots said they would be less likely to vote Conservative if their new leader had backed Liz Truss in the 2022 Conservative leadership race. Just 4% said they would be more likely to vote Conservative.

During the leadership election Mr Findlay published a video endorsing Liz Truss’ “positive vision”, describing her as “optimistic and authentic” and declaring “In Liz We Trust”.

The polling also showed that significant numbers of UK voters (35%) would be less likely to vote for the Conservatives if the party leader had said they would vote for Donald Trump if they were an American citizen as Conservative Leadership candidate Robert Jenrick has done.” A similar proportion was also put off by Kemi Badenoch’s maternity pay comments (35%).

Commenting, Scottish Liberal Democrat deputy leader Wendy Chamberlain said:

“This polling will be a bitter blow for the new Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay. The Scottish public will have little sympathy for anyone who was happily cheerleading for Liz Truss.

“Her disastrous decisions sent mortgage costs skyrocketing and deepened the cost-of-living crisis. It makes Russell Findlay’s judgment look deeply suspect.

“Former Conservative voters abandoned the party in massive numbers at the last election. In so many places across the country, people are backing the Liberal Democrats who are speaking up for them on the issues that matter most like bringing down NHS waiting lists, tackling the cost-of-living crisis and stopping the sewage scandal.”