Ruth Davidson appoints Scottish Conservative chairman

A former Scottish Conservative councillor has been named as the party’s new chairman following last week’s exit of leading QC Richard Keen.

Leader Ruth Davidson announced Rab Forman, honorary secretary of the party for the last decade, will take over.

The appointment comes after Keen, a former dean of the Faculty of Advocates, stepped down to become the new Advocate General for Scotland.

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Davidson said: “The party has changed a lot in recent years and Rab has helped to manage that change as honorary secretary.

“He undertook the revision of the party constitution and has been a guiding hand, a voice of reason and a real driving force in making our party more professional and accountable.

"He has been a great support to me and is an excellent choice to take over from Richard and to help lead the party into the next Scottish Parliamentary election.”

Forman served as a councillor for the former Lothian Regional Council for four years in the early 1990s. 

The 67-year-old, who is a senior partner at Scottish legal firm Blackadders LLP, said: “There is no doubt in my mind that, going into next year’s Holyrood elections, we can be the real pro-UK alternative to the SNP in Scotland."