The Scotsman

Ruth’s mission impossible

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Scottish Conservati­ve Party leader Ruth Davidson is nothing if not an optimist. And sometimes that optimism is perfectly justified.

When she said she would take the Tories past Labour to become the second-largest party at Holyrood last year, she delivered (in the face of the scepticism of many who believed the Tories were all but dead in Scotland). And when she promised to take the number of Scottish Conservati­ve MPS from just one into double figures in June’s snap general election, she lived up to her words yet again.

But we fear that Ms Davidson is to be disappoint­ed if she believes colleagues will heed the plea for unity she delivered at the Conservati­ve Party conference in Manchester yesterday.

The EU referendum – intended by former Prime Minister David Cameron to bring to an end years of tension in his party over Europe – has succeeded in making the Tory Party more divided than ever. Prime Minister Theresa May is a lame duck, the Conservati­ve Party is hopelessly riven over Europe and even Ruth Davidson lacks the talents to bring the factions together.

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