The SNP government gets a fair and comprehensive beating when it comes to Scotland’s drugs deaths crisis.

And rightly so, after 17 years in charge things are only getting worse, and there seems to be no prospect of the country shedding its tag as the western world’s capital for drug-related fatalities.

We see the crisis in Glasgow as acutely as anywhere – there’s barely a community in the city that isn’t impacted by the epidemic which takes a Glaswegian life, on average, almost every single day.

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But too much focus on the politics risks letting others off the hook.

Government ministers have been repeatedly attacked for the dire state of affairs, and they will continue to be held to account until the statistics show some sign of improvement.

However, there are others to look at, chiefly the criminal gangs who flood the city with drugs, greedily exploiting the weakest and most vulnerable of people.

They know exactly the consequences of their actions.

If their “clients” don’t die from poisoning or overdose, they live in the grip of brutal addiction, ruining their own life and the lives of those around them.

The gangs need to be stopped.

A determination to stand up to those serious organised criminals is what impresses me most about my friend Russell Findlay, the Scottish Conservative MSP who is one of three vying for the party’s leadership.

There was something to admire in all three candidates, but ultimately I had to go with who would do the best by Glasgow.

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He may represent the neighbouring West Scotland region, but Russell has lived and worked in Glasgow, and knows its workings and what it requires.

Like many people in this city, he’s seen the ugly side too.

His experience a decade ago of having acid thrown in his face, on his own doorstep, is well-documented.

To have come through that unscathed and indeed stronger and more determined is a tribute to his character.

More recently, police have informed him of a threat to his life from the very people involved in that hideous attack.

Again, by raising his head above the parapet, he is showing that he won’t be cowed even by the most dangerous of individuals.

That is the kind of spirit we need, not just in the party, but in the Scottish Parliament as a whole.

Most politicians are happy to condemn violent thugs and organised criminal gangs, and regularly chime along with the narrative of calling for something to be done.

Russell’s more fearless than that.

He will pose a genuine challenge to them and, if he wins, it may be just what the country needs to turn the corner on this drugs death crisis.

By stopping the flow of drugs at source, and hurting those who deal, traffic and supply illegal substances, people dependent on drugs may finally have a chance of avoiding them.

Of course, that has to be matched by proper policy and investment in other areas, not least rehabilitation.

And there is plenty more to like for Glasgow in Russell’s campaign plans, such as proposals to revive the city centre, reduce regulation for hard-pressed businesses and get the many empty buildings back into use for housing.

For too long Glasgow has lacked true friends at the very top of the Scottish Parliament.

In Russell, I finally a see a chance for that to change.