Politician quits Conservatives saying party has lost its 'moral authority'
Highly outspoken North Ayrshire Tory Councillor Todd Ferguson has sensationally quit the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, after voicing concerns about the treatment of an MSP in the party.
And he will serve the rest of his term as an independent although he is apportioning no blame to the party and their supporters in North Ayrshire.
The shock decision will leave the former opposition party with just five members in Cunninghame House.
Ferguson believes his party have lost their "moral authority".
He said on his X page: 'The way Meghan Gallacher MSP, an exceptional politician and inspirational young mother, has been treated by this party, after having the courage and confidence to stand in the leadership contest and then for bravely speaking out about bullying and threatening behaviour, is appalling.
'A complaint was made in good faith. Instead of handling it with the discretion and seriousness it deserved, senior figures have weaponised the findings by leaking them to the Daily Mail to launch another cowardly smear campaign against Meghan.
'That's not just a failure of process, it's a failure of character. For me, this is the final straw in a long and growing list. "
The North Coast cllr added: 'I come from a proud Conservative family. My grandparents believed in hard work, responsibility, and country, values the party once championed.
'My mum, at just seven years old, chalked 'Vote Tory' on the pavement outside her home on Shettleston Road, a bold act of conviction in the heart of Glasgow's East End, and one that drew condemnation from her mum who told her to wash it off so as to not offend Mrs Queen who lived in the tenement next to them, and a lifelong Labour voter. They were true Conservatives, always thinking of others.
'That early passion never left my mum. She went on to become Branch Secretary in Cunninghame North and served as campaign manager for Phil Gallie, John Corrie, and Richard Wilkinson, all dedicated public servants.
'Our front living room in West Kilbride regularly became a hub of political activity, with association meetings, campaign headquarters, and charity fundraising all being hosted around our coffee table.
'My grandparents and parents were proud Conservatives, people of principle and quiet strength. This legacy shaped me. And it makes my disillusionment all the more painful. What the Conservative Party has become today is not something my family would recognise, nor something I can continue to stand behind.
'This is a party that has lost its way, its moral authority, and its integrity. It no longer upholds conservative values, it twists them, abandons them, and then talks of 'common sense' as if that excuses the rot at its core.
'There are far too many career politicians in this party who are in it for themselves, not the country. They posture, play games, and spin narratives while ordinary people are crying out for leadership, decency, and competency. It is little wonder the party is being punished in by-elections and polls right across the UK.
"I want to be clear: my decision is not a reflection on the North Ayrshire and Arran Association, my local councillor group, or the voters from across the political divide who put their trust in me. They have been nothing short of outstanding. But I will not be complicit in propping up a party that now punishes integrity and protects arrogance.
'I will serve the remainder of my council term as an Independent. And I'll be watching carefully, as many are, to see what new political movement may rise to give voice to the decent, forgotten working class majority in Britain.'
Ferguson's decision to leave the party comes just seven months after former party colleagues Matthew McLean and Stewart Ferguson left to join Reform.
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