Who is new Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay?

Given the risks in his previous career, Findlay was known for maintaining privacy in his personal life.

He grew up in Glasgow and was educated at Douglas Academy, a state school in the suburb of Milngavie to the north of the city.

He studied journalism at Edinburgh Napier University – when it was still known as Napier polytechnic – before a 30-year career in newspapers and broadcasting covering organised crime in Scotland.

He worked for the Sunday Mail, Scottish Sun, STV and several other outlets.

Findlay identify always remained hidden, with a silhouette photo beside his byline.

“Nobody ever knew what he looked like until he became a politician,” says Gill Smith, his friend and editor of the Scottish Sun.

“He was very good at his job – that’s of course why he was targeted,” she said.

“The gangsters didn’t like that he was mixing it up for them or exposing them or sticking their names in the paper.”