Ruth Davidson warns of ‘painful’ and radical reform
Ruth Davidson has said she supports Westminster regaining control of the independence referendum. Photo: Neil Hanna
THE NEW Tory leader in Scotland says she is in favour of plans for Westminster to seize control of the timing of the independence referendum.
Ruth Davidson, speaking in her first press conference since winning the leadership vote, said she would back the controversial move if Alex Salmond continues to refuse to bring the referendum forward.
Today, writing in Scotland on Sunday, Davidson is also warning her party that it faces radical reform, which might be “painful”, while holding out an olive branch to those she defeated in the bitter contest.
Asked yesterday if Prime Minister David Cameron should press ahead with legislation to hold the referendum rather than wait for the SNP government to do so, she replied: “If it was required.”
The First Minister has said he intends to wait until the latter half of the current Scottish Parliament before asking Scots whether they want to leave the UK. But, in one of her first announcements as the Scottish leader, Davidson yesterday acknowledged that discussions were ongoing about forcing the referendum to be held earlier.
Saying she was in “constant contact” with Conservative colleagues at Westminster on the issue, Davidson, 32, who succeeds Annabel Goldie as Scottish leader, added: “There’s some question of putting a time constraint on that [the independence vote], but I’ll see what my colleagues decide on that.” She added: “Scotland deserves the chance to a make a decision on this in good time.”
The suggestion is opposed vehemently by the SNP government, which has insisted it is for the Scottish Parliament to arrange the referendum. But Cameron has made several calls to hold the referendum as soon as possible, hinting that he may press ahead with the vote if Salmond opts to wait for another two to three years.
Yesterday, Davidson made it clear that Cameron was not her “boss”, saying that when he came to Scotland they would be “colleagues” – reflecting the creation of a Scottish Conservative leader’s job with full authority over affairs north of the Border.
She attempted to make peace with her rival, former deputy leader Murdo Fraser, who had used the leadership campaign to call for the party to be scrapped and reformed, saying they had spoken “at length” about the future.
Yesterday, she played down the rift between her and the three other candidates – Fraser, Margaret Mitchell and Jackson Carlaw – during the campaign.
She said: “They are not my opponents, they are my colleagues. This leadership campaign was enriched by their passion, energy and ideas.” But that came amid growing speculation in the party of a “clear-out” of MSPs who backed plans by Fraser to rebrand the party.
One party figure, not in Davidson’s team, said Fraser’s supporters were “doomed”. Her victory over Fraser came after a ballot of the party membership. But the new leader dismissed suggestions that she would face opposition from the party at Holyrood, after nearly half the Tory MSPs backed Fraser.
Meanwhile, the party’s head of media, Ramsay Jones, who was suspended during the campaign amid claims of bias towards Davidson, was reinstated yesterday. A source close to Davidson said:”An internal investigation has cleared Ramsay and he will be returning to work shortly.” David Mundell, the party’s sole MP in Scotland, was made party chairman.
In her article for Scotland on Sunday, Davidson warns the Scottish party that it faces a period of “painful” and “radical” change, which is needed to transform it into a political “fighting force”.
She also calls for the party to break out of its few traditional areas in Scotland, saying it must champion social justice. “The test of our policies will be to ensure they always help the weakest in society as much as the strongest,” she writes.
She goes on: “We must also realise our own potential and that involves change – real, radical and meaningful change. Change is not always easy and sometimes it can be painful. But the willingness of the party to step up to the plate has already become clear by the faith they have placed in me.”
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Comments
There are 733 comments to this article
Page 1 of 49
Vivas
Monday, November 7, 2011 at 01:46 AM<b>Ruth Davidson. Another loser.</b>
deliverus
Monday, November 7, 2011 at 12:32 AM730All New Rufus Lewinsky the Librarian----Devo max is not an invention of the S.N.P. It is a groundswell of opinion from the Scottish people.The S.N.P. do not wish to support devo max and will campaign for independence. If no other party takes up the cudgels for devo max then it is dead in the water and a large section of Scottish voters will be deprived of a vote for their preferred option.The vote will then be independence or the status quo the result of which is, I suggest, not likely to favour the union.
Cynicus
Monday, November 7, 2011 at 12:03 AM"725 I only e-mail the real Cyn"=#728, Moniker Lewinsky ______________________________________________________ I AM the real Cyn! My shape shifting strategy leave the fakers beached lie so many stranded whales. Check out the recent "Kunikos" posts. The only survivors, like "Cynicus" and "Cynicus in Exile" are exposed to the whole thread as pathetic impostors.
All New Rufus Lewinsky the Librarian
Monday, November 7, 2011 at 12:01 AMNEAT! - - - - - - - - - - - -- - -- - SNP under pressure as Scots back change New - 0 hours ago THE SNP was last night under renewed pressure to spell out the meaning of the controversial “devo max” option for its independence referendum, after a new poll showed the majority of Scots backed more economic powers for Holyrood. ...
Annie Baird
Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 11:52 PMThanks Moniker.
Moniker Lewinsky
Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 11:49 PM725 I only e-mail the real Cyn. It's pretty obvious how you access articles early, you use the search button & put in a likely word like SNP or Salmond then hit newest first. You get stuff back but I haven't worked out how you can post on it. It just sends me back here when I click on the stories.
Annie Baird
Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 11:48 PMMoniker, do spill the beans on how to see tomorrows articles. I'm done with Ruth and Sunday stories. How is it done !
Moniker Lewinsky
Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 11:46 PMWas she Cheltenham Ladies College then? Oh well, it's the same thing. A background of privilege & elitism & then she presumes to lecture everyone else. Horrid woman, can't stand her.
Cynicus
Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 11:45 PM#Obs, I gather you have craced the secret of logging on early. Perhaps you can let me now, via the back -channel.
Cynicus
Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 11:41 PM"716 I know what Roedean is,....."-#717, Moniker Lewinsky ______________________________________________________ Yes -but not all of our readers do. I thought Harriet attended Cheltenham bit, on checking, I discover it was St Paul's Schoolmfor Girls. So, we were both wrong -but a bit like muddling Eton, Harrow and Rugby.
Moniker Lewinsky
Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 11:40 PM719 Your childish obsession with Cyn is boring. Could you not attempt to post something interesting?
deliverus
Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 11:40 PMRuth Davidson warns of ‘painful’ and radical reform----I don`t think it will be all that radical so I think it will be very very painful.
Moniker Lewinsky
Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 11:38 PMDamnation. I have managed to find all tomorrow's articles, but I can't post on them. It keeps sending me back here. Anyway devo max is all the rage & even the Hootsman is backing it.
deliverus
Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 11:33 PM713Moniker Lewinsky----- Is cyn in trouble ? It can`t be his sins as he has so few.
The fucking Shitesman
Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 11:30 PMCharles, where are you ? I'm seeking your advice on a "culinary matter". Yesterday evening, my wife was expecting me to prepare for her a Spicy Chorizo Surprise with all the trimmings. Unfortunately as it turned out, I was only able to provide her with Boneless Pork. She was rather displeased about that as I'm sure you can understand. What would you advise ?
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