Russell Findlay has billed himself as someone who is “not a career politician”.
And that is certainly the case – for decades, Mr Findlay was an investigative reporter in Scotland, covering organised crime and justice for the likes of STV and the Scottish Sun.
It was his work investigating some of the country’s biggest criminals that led to him being attacked with acid at his home, narrowly avoiding serious injury.
As well as covering organised crime, his investigation into the disappearance of Margaret Fleming was instrumental in the prosecution of her killers Avril Jones and Edward Cairney.
His interview with the couple, who were Ms Fleming’s guardians, was used by prosecutors in the trial to convict them of her murder and of claiming her benefits for almost two decades after she had died.
Mr Findlay went on to become – to the surprise of many colleagues – the head of communications for the Scottish Conservatives in 2020, and later announced his intention to run for Holyrood.
Topping the Tories’ West Scotland list, he was elected in 2021 – after coming third in the Paisley constituency – and quickly rose to become the party’s justice spokesman.
Throughout his four years at Holyrood, the former reporter has become a fierce critic of the Scottish Government, particularly around the controversial gender reforms blocked by the UK government early last year.
He was also seen by some as the continuity candidate in the Tory leadership race, with reports suggesting his predecessor Douglas Ross wanted him to take over the top job last year.
Mr Findlay will now be tasked with bringing together a party which has been struggling in recent months.
Mr Ross was forced to step down from the leadership during the general election campaign following his decision to run for the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat in the stead of former MP David Duguid, who was recovering from a spinal stroke.
The leadership contest was also marred by accusations of dirty tricks by supporters of some candidates, with Mr Findlay’s fellow candidate Meghan Gallacher suggesting a senior party figure wrongly told her supporters she was going to drop out.
