Brian Whittle has pulled out of the Scottish Conservative leadership contest.

Mr Whittle, who has been MSP for South Scotland since 2016, announced on X that he had pulled out of the contest to replace Douglas Ross, the current Scottish Tory leader.

In a statement, Mr Whittle said he had entered the leadership contest as he believes his party needs a “new approach” to how it operates, and is grateful for the support he has received throughout his Whittle2Win campaign, but is now stepping down.

He wrote: “However, I have decided to suspend my campaign and withdraw from consideration.

“Any leadership contest worthy of the name will inevitably involve disagreements among candidates and members. It’s unfortunate that some, both in the press and in the party, have seen that natural disagreement as a personal affront.

“Despite that, I am confident that this party has the ideas and the ability to grow and win in Scotland if it is willing to accept, as most of the candidates have, that it must change to offer Scotland’s voters a credible centre-right alternative.”

Mr Whittle says he will now support Murdo Fraser, who is up against competition from colleagues Meghan Gallacher, Jamie Greene, Russell Findlay, and Liam Kerr – a total of five candidates.

He said: “The question for me and every other member now, is simple. Which of the remaining candidates is best places to unite the membership behind them, harness their talents, and turn the Scottish Conservatives into a party that meets the needs of its member and, crucially, Scotland’s voters.

“For me, I believe that person is Murdo Fraser. He has recognised the scale of the change that is needed and represent[s] the genuine change of approach that we need to win.

“I look forward to supporting him as the campaign continues.”

Mr Fraser responded to Mr Whittle’s announcement, stating he is “sorry to see Brian withdrawing from the contest”.

He said: “He brought forward some innovative ideas to the leadership debate on leadership and policy, and his contribution as an MSP is and continues to be significant.

“I am honoured and humbled by his kind words about me and his support.

“As the candidate with the broadest range of experience and history in the party, he believes I am best placed to deliver real change and unite us going forward. I aim to live up to those expectations.”