Tory grandees 'plot Michael Gove and Ruth Davidson dream ticket for Downing Street'
2 min read
Senior Conservative figures are reportedly plotting to install Michael Gove in Number 10 as a caretaker Prime Minister - with Ruth Davidson stepping up to take on the top job in 2021.
Amid growing disquiet in Tory ranks with the progress of Brexit talks, the Sun reports that up to 30 MPs have started canvassing support for Ms Davidson - the Tories' Scottish leader - to take the reins, with party grandees separately hatching plans for a "Gove-Davidson succession".
The plan would see Mr Gove, current Environment Secretary and a leading light of the campaign to leave the EU, installed in Downing Street to oversee the end of Brexit negotiations and the transition period, currently set to expire in 2021.
Ms Davidson would then take over after leading the Scottish Tories' 2021 Holyrood parliament campaign.
One former Cabinet minister told The Sun that Ms Davidson - who has overseen a turnaround in the Scottish Conservatives' fortunes - was "the messiah".
They added: “Michael wants to be the leader, but he also accepts he can’t fight a general election.
“He knows he’s toxic to too many voters after his education reforms and running the Leave campaign.
“Ruth can and should fight the 2022 general election for us, as she’s got it all. But we need to fill the gap – and Michael can do that.”
Meanwhile, a senior Conservative close to Mr Gove said the party needed both "the right leader to follow Theresa, and someone who can win an election".
“The problem is they’re not necessarily the same person," they added.
The pair sparked speculation of a possible dream ticket when they shared a joint platform this week at the launch of a new liberal Conservative think tank, Onward.
In comments interpreted as a dig at Theresa May, Ms Davidson said: "Sometimes as Tories we just look a bit dour.
"We look a bit joyless, a bit authoritarian sometimes. We don’t get to win if we start hectoring the people we need to vote for us."
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