Liz Truss will not be intimidated by the grievance politics of the SNP

Leadership campaigns are an odd event. While largely a Conservative party matter, the successful winner of this contest becomes more than the party leader but also our 56^th prime minister at a time when the country faces significant challenges.

As an MSP and party member, I have a vote and I want to use that to help pick the prime minister who will deliver for the north east of Scotland and for the UK at large.

I want a prime minister who is focused on delivery and less on front pages. As a politician, I know that’s not as easy as it sounds, but with the recovery from the pandemic, cost-of-living crisis and the war in Ukraine, we need to focus on solving problems, not grabbing headlines.

The politics of distraction or ‘dead cat’ must be put back on the shelf.  There is too much at stake.

After the last few years, it’s not just about what they will do, but for the public to regain trust, it also matters how they will conduct themselves in office and ensure high standards of the team around them.

The public's perception of our prime minister and how they got to Number 10 matters greatly.

Like me, Liz Truss went to a state school, worked in oil and gas, and held different jobs working across the UK. An experience shared by many in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Like me, and again like many others, Liz voted Remain in 2016, but she respects democracy. That’s why Liz worked hard to secured dozens of continuity trade agreements critical for businesses across the UK.

Liz secured a roll back of tariffs on our whisky industry, securing jobs that matter so much to communities across Scotland.

Liz Truss doesn’t just go along with Whitehall orthodoxy and would look again at placing the Carbon Capture Storage Acorn Project on the fast track.

Born in Oxford, brought up in Paisley, Liz more than most understands the value of the Union, that we are stronger when we work together and how to make the positive case for the benefits of Scotland remaining in the UK.

Liz will work constructively with the Scottish Government but will not be intimidated by the grievance politics of the SNP.

The people of Scotland expect both our governments to work together for the good of all Scots, Liz will do this but others will need to play their part also.

Her announcements on investment zones and increasing levelling up funding show a determination to help grow a successful economic revival out of the pandemic.

Liz’s proposed tax cuts, taking the financial weight off families and leaving more money in the pockets of the lowest and middle-income earners, comes at the time when people need it most.

As a conservative, we cannot tax our way into economic prosperity. Liz gets it.

Ultimately this contest is about the direction of our country and the course we chart to navigate many challenges - a government focused on delivery, protecting Scotland's place in the UK and championing the UK's place in the world underpinned by our values of liberalism, democracy and enterprise.

This is what a Liz Truss premiership will deliver and that's why I'm backing her.

Douglas Lumsden is a Conservative MSP for North East Scotland