Major shock as Ruth Davidson set to quit as Scottish Tory leader
2 min read
Ruth Davidson is to quit as leader of the Scottish Conservatives, it has emerged.
In a major shock, senior party figures confirmed that the high-profile MSP will announce she is standing down in the next 24 hours.
The news emerged just hours after Boris Johnson - who has had a series of bust-ups with Ms Davidson in the past - who sparked a political storm by asking the Queen to suspend Parliament.
It is understood that she has also struggled to combine being the mother of a young child with her political career, having returned to Holyrood after her maternity leave earlier this year.
One friend told PoliticsHome: "It's much more personal than political, although that hasn't helped."
A Scottish Tory spokesman said: "Ruth will make her position clear in due course. There will be no further comment this evening."
Ms Davidson - at one time tipped as a future Prime Minister - was one of the main pro-Remain voices during the EU referendum, putting her at odds with Vote Leave boss Mr Johnson.
She backed Sajid Javid in the Conservative leadership contest, before voting for Mr Johnson's opponents after he left the race.
After he became Prime Minister, Ms Davidson said she would not support him if he pursued a no deal Brexit.
She said: "I hope beyond measure the new Prime Minister is successful in getting an agreement with the EU so 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 Government should pursue a no deal Brexit and, if it comes to it, I won't support it."
Her departure from frontline politics will also be a huge blow to the campaign to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom.
She played a prominent role in the successful Better Together campaign in 2014, and had been tipped by many to lead the pro-Union side if a second independence referendum takes place.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
