Tory event ends with law promise

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Scottish Tory leader Annabel Goldie closed her party's conference by dismissing the attack by David Mundell as "a little local difficulty."

Earlier, Scotland's only MP received a warm welcome from activists.

In her speech, Ms Goldie said a Conservative controlled Scottish Executive would take a tough line on law and order.

She also won applause by repeating her earlier jibe that at least Tory emails do not end up at Scotland Yard.

The event in Perth has been overshadowed by the leak of a memo from Mr Mundell which criticised Ms Goldie's leadership and the performance of Tory MSPs.

I am deeply disappointed to have found myself drawn into an attempted distraction David Mundell

He made no apology for the contents of the memo in his keynote speech on Saturday, but paid tribute Ms Goldie and lamented that the document found its way into the media.

He said: "I believe a great deal has been achieved in the party both across the UK and here in Scotland in recent months, but one thing is clear.

"We will not be able to continue to change as a party or make the electoral strides we want to if we cannot have a full and frank discussion within our party without fear that anything which is said will make its way into the media."

Mr Mundell added: "I am deeply disappointed to have found myself drawn into an attempted distraction but I remain resolute in our sole objective of seeing an increase in the number of Scottish Conservative councillors, MSPs and MPs.

"I have to say, ladies and gentlemen, I cannot remember a conference where there have not been attempts to divert us from our main business."

Ms Goldie sat impassively through Mr Mundell's speech

Annabel Goldie and Peter Duncan sat side by side in the audience.

Although they applauded later in the speech, they did not do so during his opening comments.

Conservative party leader David Cameron had earlier commented on the row in his opening address at the conference.

He said that people offered him all sorts of advice about the Scottish party but added that sometimes it was better if they kept it to themselves.

He also used his conference speech to praise Ms Goldie and her policies.

Ms Goldie received a standing ovation as she closed the event.

She insisted the Tories were a united force and paid fulsome tribute to party chairman Peter Duncan - whose replacement had also been demanded in Mr Mundell's memo.

She also pledged to defend the 300-year-old union with England to the last, telling party members: "We talk delivery, we don't talk divorce."

And she held up the Conservatives as the real alternatives at the elections in May.

"Our mission is to lift Scotland out of the mess in which Labour and the Liberal Democrats have dumped us," she said.