Russell Findlay has been elected as the new leader of the Scottish Conservative party.

The former journalist defeated his Scottish Parliament colleagues Murdo Fraser and Meghan Gallacher.

Findlay has been an MSP for the West of Scotland since 2021 and was the party’s justice spokesman.

He has promised to make the Conservatives “reconnect” with what he calls their “traditional values of enterprise, self-reliance, fiscal responsibility and the rule of law”.

The poll closed at noon on Thursday.

A total of 4,155 people voted out of a total of 6,941 eligible members, a turnout of 60%.

Findlay received 2,565 votes, Fraser 1,187 and Gallacher 403.

The new leader said the party must come together after what he called a bruising period.

Speaking immediately after his win was announced, he said: “Everyone must come together as one united team. Let us start the hard work right now to win back public trust.

“I want to deliver the message to people across Scotland who do not feel that anyone represents them, who are scunnered by the divisiveness and fringe obsessions of the Scottish Parliament, who feel let down and failed by politicians of every single party, including ours, who think politicians are all the same.

“I feel that way – I get it, but I’m not the same.”

Findlay now faces a busy few days.

A ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of devolution is being held at the Scottish Parliament on Saturday, with Findlay due to make a speech before the King and Queen.

He will then need to head to the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, where he will undertake a number of engagements.

Appointments of their frontbench team are expected to take place next week.

The leadership election was triggered when Douglas Ross announced he was standing down as leader following his decision to contest the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat at Westminster, replacing former MP David Duguid, who was recovering from a spinal stroke.

The decision angered MSPs and party members after Ross had previously said he would stand down from Westminster to focus on Holyrood.

He was forced to announce in the midst of the general election campaign that he would quit as leader after polling day.

Speaking on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland radio programme on Friday, election expert Prof Sir John Curtice said the campaign had been “fractious”, after a period when the party had seen its support falling away.

“We’re talking about a party that has got just over 12.5% of the vote in the general election, its worst performance ever,” he said.