Exclusive

Ruth Davidson: The Tory Party needs to understand the changing landscape of Scottish politics

14 February 2020, 10:18

Former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has spoken out on the leadership campaign
Former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has spoken out on the leadership campaign. Picture: PA

As the Scottish Tories prepare to reveal their next leader this morning - Ruth Davidson says the party needs to understand the changing landscape of politics north of the border.

Jackson Carlaw and Michelle Ballantyne are both in the running to replace Ms Davidson, who quit the top job last year.

Speaking exclusively to LBC she said the new leader needs to look towards the next five years in politics, "not just be able to discuss what's happened in the five years up to now."

When asked if she had a favourite among the candidates Ms Davidson said she had "stayed scrupulously neutral" throughout the campaign, but she told LBC Jackson Carlo had been a Member of the Scottish Parliament for a long time and "covered a number of briefs, including transport and health."

While the other candidate Michelle Ballantyne is one of the newest MSPs. Ms Davidson said a lot of her experience is from "outside the parliament." The candidate was previously a nurse and a businesswoman and running a charity as well and worked in addiction services.

The "two very, very different people with different approaches" show the "strength and depth that we've got within our party," Ms Davidson said.

The former Conservative leader in Scotland told LBC the challenges of leading a political party were different from managing a company.

She said the role was about "taking people who choose to be part of it is about the volunteer."

"So you really have to bring people along and show them where it is you're wanting to go. And also, the tests come around pretty quickly. "

The two leadership candidates
The two leadership candidates. Picture: PA

She warned that a future leader would have to have "resilience, that energy, that vision of where you want to take the party, and you've got to have the people skills to take people with you."

Branding the Scottish parliamentary elections next years as a "fantastic opportunity for the Scottish Conservatives," Ms Davidson said the party "more than doubled our number of seats at the last election and I think that there's a great platform there. "

When asked what they next leader of her party would need to know, Ms Davidson said: "I think what's important is that the new leader really understands how Scottish politics has changed in the last few years. So when I was first elected in 2011, the situation on the ground we hadn't independence referendum, we hadn't had a Brexit referendum."

She added: "Politics was very different. So the new leader who comes in needs to understand what's going to happen in the next five years in politics, not just be able to discuss what's happened in the five years leading up to now," she said the new leader would need to be "brave enough to make changes."

She warned that "no party that stays where it is, will ever flourish."

"It's about making sure that they can change things that they need to change to adapt to the situation around them."

She told LBC she didn't want the changes she had made kept just because she was the one who made them, "I'm not precious about the changes that I made, I don't want to see everything that I did sort of preserved in amber forever.

Praising Boris Johnson for staying neutral during the leadership campaign, Ms Davidsons said she thought the PM would "work very well with whoever the Scottish leader is. You know, we are a key part of the UK party and he appreciates that."

Ms Davidson stepped down as Scottish Conservative leader in August last year, citing the "conflict" she felt over Brexit - having campaigned for Remain in 2016 - as well as becoming a mother as the reasons for leaving the job.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

This illustrative image shows Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and United States President Donald Trump (right).

Donald Trump is 'setting preconditions for withdrawing from NATO', his former advisor tells LBC

Semina Halliwell

Girl, 12, who died of overdose after reporting being raped was 'betrayed' by authorities, mother claims

Farishta Jami, 36, pictured, pledged allegiance to Islamic State and had a 'clear interest in the use of children in warfare'

British mother, 36, who tried to move family to Afghanistan to become ISIS martyrs found guilty of terror offences

Jaysley Beck, 19, was found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire

Soldier, 19, 'pinned down' by sergeant 'lost faith' after his only punishment was writing apology letter

Michael Steele, who was jailed for life in 1998 for the killings of Tony Tucker, Pat Tate and Craig Rolfe, can be released from prison, the Parole Board has said.

'Essex Boys' killer Michael Steele to be released from prison 27 years after triple gangland murders

Ukraine 'won't accept any agreements' between Trump and Putin to end war without being involved, says Zelenskyy

Ukraine 'won't accept any agreements' between Trump and Putin to end war without being involved, says Zelenskyy

Naya Rivera

Glee star Naya Rivera's heartbreaking final words to her son before she drowned revealed

Kanye West

There can be no debate about Kanye West - he clearly hates Jewish people and should be challenged on it

The young man was swallowed by a whale

Shocking moment whale swallows kayaker whole before spitting him back out

Deise Moura has been arrested on suspicion of killing her relatives with a poisonous Christmas cake

Woman accused of murder after 'Christmas cake poisoning' that killed three is found dead in prison cell

Ex-Met and West Mercia Police constable Mark Cranfield was found guilty of misconduct charges for pestering a revenge porn victim and keeping intimate video and naked images of her on his work phone

'I'm glad I got to see the pictures': Ex constable 'pestered' revenge porn victim and kept naked images of her on his phone

What if Ukraine were the UK? Could you accept surrendering a fifth of our country to Putin after so much sacrifice?

What if Ukraine were the UK? Could you accept surrendering a fifth of our country to Putin after so much sacrifice?

Tranyelle Harshman, 32, of Wyoming, left her fourth daughter fighting for her life after going on a rampage at their home on Monday.

'She loved those kids': Husband breaks silence to defend mother who killed her children

Brothers Mohammed Fahir Amaaz and Muhammad Amaad arriving at Liverpool Crown Court

Brothers deny assaulting police officers in viral video at Manchester Airport

The bodies of Andrew Searle and his wife Dawn were discovered by a neighbour

Mystery deepens over British couple found dead in France as wife 'made appointments' before deaths

Freezing rain will hit the UK.

Rare freezing rain that poses risks for planes and downs trees will hit UK in days, warns Met Office