Scottish Tory leader insists she will not support no-deal Brexit

EDINBURGH: Ruth Davidson has said she will back Boris Johnson as Prime Minister — but will not give her support to a no-deal Brexit.

The Scottish Conservative leader also insisted that her position in the Scottish Parliament exists independently of Westminster and that she does not have to sign any no-deal pledge to continue to serve.

In a major reshuffle at Number 10 earlier this week, Johnson installed a number of Brexiteers in key cabinet posts as more than half of May’s top team had quit or been sacked, including secretary of state for Scotland David Mundell.

Writing in the Mail On Sunday, Davidson said: “I hope beyond measure that the new Prime Minister is successful in getting an agreement with the EU so that he can go back to the House of Commons and get the majority backing he needs. He has my full support in those efforts.

“Where I differ with the UK government is on the question of a no-deal Brexit. When I was debating against the pro-Brexit side in 2016, I don’t remember anybody saying we should crash out of the EU with no arrangements in place to help maintain the vital trade that flows uninterrupted between Britain and the European Union.

“I don’t think the UK government should pursue a no-deal Brexit, and if it comes to it, I won’t support it. I wrote to tell the former prime minister Theresa May that last year and I confirmed my position to her successor when I spoke to him last week. As leader of the party in Scotland, my position exists independently of government. I don’t have to sign a no-deal pledge to continue to serve.” Davidson also rejected any suggestions of the party in Scotland splitting from the UK, with the idea having previously been mooted around the time of the last Scottish Tory leadership race. “We are a devolved party, just as Scotland is devolved,” said Davidson.

“As Scottish leader, I am in charge of policy, campaigning, staffing, funding, management, candidate selection and everything else that goes with fighting elections and communicating with voters.

“This model has served us well as, since it was introduced in 2011, we have more than doubled our seats at Holyrood, added more than 100 councillors across the country and returned our largest number of MPs to the House of Commons for more than 30 years. So to the commentators making a living out of reviving this idea, I am pleased the kids won’t go without shoes. But my message is simple: not on my watch.”

SNP MP Stephen Gethins said Davidson’s position as Scottish Tory leader is “untenable”. “It’s time for Ruth Davidson to find a backbone and join the SNP in meaningfully opposing Boris Johnson’s disastrous Brexit plans — instead of always rolling over,” Gethins said.

“She says she will support Johnson but not a no-deal Brexit — but the fact is you can’t do both. Her position is untenable and weak. As the European elections showed, the Tories’ support for Brexit is damaging them in Scotland — and they will face an electoral backlash if they drag Scotland out of the EU against our will.”