The boy will do good: Davidson on new leader
Ruth Davidson yesterday promised the new leader of the Scottish Tories would provide fresh impetus for the party before next year’s Holyrood election.
Ms Davidson, who stood down from the role, said Douglas Ross, 37, would do well and, in two major newspaper interviews, denied “the boy” would be operating in her shadow,
She said: “Honestly, just you wait to see what he can do. He is a good lad. He’ll do really well. Once you see the upgrade we’re about to have, once you see Douglas in action, you will cease to wish to have me back at the helm.”
Ms Davidson also claimed Prime Minister Boris Johnson should not have given his brother a peerage while accepting one herself.
Both Miss Davidson and former Conservative minister Jo Johnson, who left politics last year, were among 36 new peers to the House of Lords by the prime minister.
She said: “It is not a great look that Jo
Johnson is the prime minister’s brother, but people have gone in with much less to recommend them. However, I think it would have been wiser if it had not happened under his brother’s premiership.”
Ms Davidson also said that the House of Lords should be reformed to make it more democratic.
The former Scottish Tory leader said: “I have always believed it should be an elected chamber. As soon as someone brings forward a plan to turn it into a democratic chamber, I will be voting for it, I will be there with bells on. And if they move it to York, that will be so much closer to the East Coast train line.”