Ruth makes her peace with Johnson
EU debate rivals hold clear-the-air talks
RUTH Davidson has patched up her differences with Boris Johnson, drawing a line under their bitter EU referendum clashes.
The Scottish Conservatives leader held secret talks with the Foreign Secretary, whom she had accused of peddling lies for the Leave campaign, a fortnight ago.
The move came after she decided to put her “shoulder to the wheel” to secure a good deal for Scotland in the Brexit negotiations.
Speaking ahead of the Tory conference in Birmingham this week, Miss Davidson said that, rather than “sulk” about Brexit, she would be focusing on areas of the economy, such as fishing and financial services, which needed support in the wake of June’s vote to leave the EU.
She will use her conference speech to back the creation of a new Crisis Family Fund and a network of “family hubs” to provide advice in deprived parts of Scotland.
Miss Davidson revealed she visited the Foreign Office for showdown talks with Mr Johnson.
It was the first time they had spoken since they clashed during a TV debate days before the referendum.
She said: “I was pleasantly surprised and impressed when I had a meeting with him.
“It is important the UK Government pulls together all the strands. When Article 50 is moved, the UK will be sitting at a table alone with 26 other people sitting across from them. They’ve got to have their ducks in a row. Boris is a key and integral part of that.”
She continued: “The question for those of us who fought for Remain is: what do we do?
“As politicians we can sulk because we didn’t get the result we wanted or we can do what we are paid to do and put our shoulders to the wheel and try to deliver something that is going to work for the people of Scotland.
“There are some sectors with worries and concerns about Brexit; financial services want to make sure there is passporting to mitigate the effects of the vote.
“And some sectors, like fishing, see there are opportunities from not being part of the EU, so it is about how we maximise those.”
On the issue of independence, Miss Davidson said: “The idea that Nicola Sturgeon takes my vote for Remain and the thousands of other Scots like me who voted Remain as some sort of proxy for another independence referendum is a nonsense.”
On the domestic front, the Tory leader said a new network of family hubs to provide relationship and employment support should be considered.
She explained: “They should first be targeted in poorer areas where the pressures of tight finances place heavier burdens on parents and children.”
An SNP spokesman said: “It speaks volumes about the competence of the Brexiteer Ministers that Ruth Davidson struggles to offer even qualified support for a Foreign Secretary who just three months ago she claimed had repeatedly ‘lied’ about the case for leaving the EU.
“The question is why she now acts like a born-again Brexiteer if she thinks our EU membership is so important.”