To the Scottish Tory reception at Conservative Party conference, where leader Kemi Badenoch gave a rather punchy address before popping over to the Welsh Conservative event – her ‘second favourite devolved nation’, quipped Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay.
Lauding Findlay, Badenoch expressed her admiration for how he has coped with the journalist crowd north of the border. Turning on the Scottish lobby, Badenoch was not quite as gushing:
I’m so thrilled at Russell’s tenaciousness how he charms the journalists whenever we go up there. Scottish journalists are a special, special group of people. Whenever, whenever I come down, they act like an alien has turned up from the moon or something, or from outer space. Why are you here? What are you doing here? And why haven’t you been coming every single day, even though they saw me just recently?
Shots fired! But the Conservative leader attempted to pull her criticism back a little, adding:
But actually, what I do like about Scottish journalists is that they’re very, very much like me. They’re very direct. They make sure that they get a hearing. They say what it is that they want to say.
So, er, that’s some begrudging praise at least.
Findlay was his usual charming self, telling the crowd:
Slight change to the running order because Kemi has got to go to Wales, her second favourite devolved. Thank you first of all Scottish Power for laying on the booze. It’s amazing what that can do to a room. Last year of course, I turned up and I revealed from the same spot that I had my power supply with EDF. A lot has happened in the past 12 months. I’m now with Octopus: I despise defection, I demand loyalty.
A rather pointed statement given many of his councillors and even two MSPs have jumped ship…
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