Davidson calls on her ‘band of 13’ to demand funding for Scotland

Ruth Davidson has called on her strengthened band of MPs to “stick together” to squeeze cash out of the Chancellor.

The Scottish Conservatives’ 13-strong group at Westminster is crucial to keeping the UK party in power after Theresa May lost her Commons majority.

It has raised hopes that Dundee could get a boost to its fledgling decommissioning industry in Philip Hammond’s Budget next month.

Ms Davidson said that her group of MPs know they must put their country before the party, adding they are “not shy in coming forward” to demand more for Scotland.

In a press briefing at the Tory conference in Manchester, she was asked if she would use the threat of the “Scottish 13” to extract more out of her colleagues at the Treasury.

“I’m being my usual charming, persuasive self as you would expect, and nothing else,” Ms Davidson said.

“It’s nice to have some other voices in the room and I think that the Treasury knows that it has got to deliver for the whole of the UK.

“You see the whole theme of the conference that works for everyone and for everyone that works in every part of the UK.

“I have been entirely clear with my colleagues that have just been elected, that of course we are all Conservatives, we are all part of the Conservative family, but to deliver for Scotland, if we stick together we can do it more effectively.”

“The Chancellor himself knows when he is being persuaded.”

In his speech on Monday, the Chancellor revealed he was finding out “just how assertive” the Scottish Tories can be.

It’s nice to have some other voices in the room and I think that the Treasury knows that it has got to deliver for the whole of the UK

Getty Images. Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson wants the Treasury to deliver for all of the UK.