Stephen Kerr said he wanted the Tories’ Edinburgh operation to be discrete from that south of the border

A Scottish Conservative MP has argued that the party north of the border should loosen its ties with London as internal tensions rise.

Stephen Kerr said he wanted the Tories’ Edinburgh operation to be discrete from that south of the border with divergence on policies and campaigning tactics. He argued that this would bring electoral benefits as he compared Theresa May’s “very ineffectual” campaigning record with Ruth Davidson’s more enthusiastic style.

Although he does not want a full-blown split of the type previously advocated by Murdo Fraser, the party’s finance spokesman at Holyrood, Mr Kerr said that the Scottish group should serve as a “sister party” to English and Welsh Conservatives.

Policy differences have started to emerge on either side of the border, with