PEOPLE with no party affiliations are being invited to join

disaffected Tories at Thursday's launch of a new Scottish political

party.

The Scottish Christian Democrats are due to be inaugurated at a

meeting in Thurso's Pentland Hotel on Thursday.

The groundwork for the centre-right party has been laid by a former

Conservative Party member, Mr Neil Macinnes, a consultant from Halkirk

in Caithness.

Mr Macinnes says he has found support for his initiative in the

Central Belt, Dundee, Aberdeenshire, Banff and Buchan, and the west

coast.

He said yesterday: ''It is obvious from correspondence received daily

that there is a large void in Scottish politics.

''A party which can bring honesty and integrity back to Scottish

politics, based on strong Christian values, is long overdue.'' Mr

Macinnes said the new party is being borne out of the widespread

perception that the Tories have abandoned Scotland.

The Government, he said, has decimated the coal-mining, steel,

shipbuilding, and car industries, has lost credibility with its defence

policies, and is increasingly viewed as having lost touch with the

fishing industry, farmers, and crofters.

He said: ''The overwhelming response is that of people who need a

voice, but have felt resigned to becoming politically neutral during

elections because no other party has the centre-right policies which

support Scotland, its people and its industries.''