Senior tories don't think David Mundell, MP for Dumfriesshire since 2005, is enough of a heavy weight to warrant the job as Scottish Secretary should the tories win the next general election.
Their main fear is that Mr Mundell would be no match for Alex Salmond. After seeing his performance on the BBC1 programme The Big Debate last week, I don't think he's even a match for Jim Murphy so I completely understand the tories' concerns.
One tory source said, "Mundell is not Cabinet-level material, but getting rid of him presents the problem of a viable alternative." David Mundell has been the only tory MP in Scotland since 2005 and therefore will naturally expect the promotion and he must be choking on his cornflakes to read today's Sunday Herald.
Who would replace him as Scottish Secretary? It's thought the tories may gain around 6 Scottish seats at the next election but no tory heavyweights are candidates so it seems there is little choice from that group.
Another idea being discussed internally is to give a senior MSP a peerage and then the keys of the Scotland Office. David McLetchie? I think he enjoys his legal job too much to leave it for any length of time.
It must be embarrassing for Annabel Goldie and David Mundell to discover they had been left off the guest list of a private dinner, which took place at the Milngavie home of Sir Jack Harvie, the tories' key Scottish fundraiser. David Cameron attended alongside Lord Strathclyde, the tory leader in the Lords and around a dozen tory sympathisers in the business world.
Not really the way to cultivate relations with your Scottish colleagues Sir Jack, is it? Could it be that Scotland has already been written off David Cameron's list of 'things to do' and thus the current Scottish tory leadership don't matter?
Source: Sunday Herald
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