Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson announced she is backing Russell Findlay to be the next leader of the party.

Baroness Davidson said the former journalist was the “best chance for future success.”

Writing in the Scottish Daily Mail, she also accused candidate Murdo Fraser – who she beat in the 2011 leadership contest – of wanting to break the party up “by stealth.”

The Scottish Conservatives’ previous deputy leader, Meghan Gallacher, is also running for the post.

Lady Davidson said she found it “depressing” that some of her former colleagues had forgotten the party’s past ability to turn around its fortunes.

She wrote: “Where has the positivity gone? Where is that uplifting message of hope? What happened to that spirit of teamwork?”

In his 2011 leadership bid, Murdo Fraser had proposed separating the Scottish Conservatives from the UK party, but he is not proposing that this time.

Mr Fraser has said: “My aim is to unite the party, not divide it.”

But Russell Findlay’s supporters claim a proposed commission to examine the party’s structure is Mr Fraser’s ploy to achieve this.

Lady Davidson said this commission was a “trojan horse” to “split the party by stealth”.

She wrote: “Does its proponent take our members for fools?”

Mr Fraser’s supporters have hit out at Lady Davidson’s article.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, Brian Whittle MSP said: “I want closer ties with our colleagues in Westminster and wouldn’t support any attempt to split.

“This is no way to conduct this contest.”

Mr Whittle was also standing for the leadership, but dropped out to support Mr Fraser.

MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Finlay Carson called the comments “simply untrue”.

He said: “It’s all a deliberate twist of the truth. Disappointed in Ruth is an understatement.”

Russell Findlay will be delighted to have the backing of Ruth Davidson. As Scottish Conservative ‘grandees’ go, they don’t get much grander these days.

But her endorsement of Mr Findlay isn’t the most notable aspect of her article. It’s her (very) thinly veiled attack on Murdo Fraser.

He’s said that he has no intention to separate the Scottish Tories from their UK counterparts. But Baroness Davidson is essentially accusing him of being dishonest about his intentions.

For a contest that’s already had a lot of blue-on-blue attacks, this is one of the most brutal we’ve seen. A few of Murdo Fraser’s supporters have gone public with their dismay, others are scathing in private.

This ill-tempered contest will draw to a close later this month. For whoever wins, it will be a big job to bring this party back together.

Mr Findlay said he was “thrilled” to have the backing of Lady Davidson.

In a statement, he said: “I hugely admire the tenacity and grit she displayed to lift our party up, become the biggest opposition party in Scotland, and win over people who had never considered voting Conservative before.

Ruth Davidson said Mr Findlay had demonstrated ideas that can “provide that positive and uplifting vision for the future of our party and country.”

The leadership post became vacant after Douglas Ross announced his intention to resign during the general election campaign.

The new leader will be elected by party members and will be announced on 27 September.