Ruth Davidson has confirmed she sees herself as a future first minister, insisting the Scottish Conservatives will be the “attractive alternative” to the SNP Government come 2021.
The Edinburgh Central MSP said she would be in the wrong job if the top post was not her end goal.
To a rapturous reception on the fringes of the Conservative conference in Birmingham yesterday, she acknowledged there was work to do.
But she declared she and her team were up to the task – pointing to the party’s progress in the last five years and its showing at May’s Scottish Parliament elections when the Tories overtook Labour to become the second biggest party.
Asked if her plan ended with her as first minister, Ms Davidson replied: “Anybody would be in the wrong job if they were leading a political party in a legislature and they did not wish to be the party of government in that particular legislature.
“Of course that’s the end goal.
“We have been sitting in the Scottish Parliament since 1999 and I don’t think at any point in that time have we looked like an alternative party of government.
“I want us in five years time to absolutely look like an alternative party of government and an attractive one at that.
“That’s the task we face. We will do it.”
Ms Davidson also hit out at the SNP’s response to the EU referendum result.
She told activists and members at a Scottish reception: “The idea that Nicola Sturgeon can co-opt my Remain vote as some sort of endorsement for independence frankly is laughable and she should know better.
“And there’s thousands of people like me across Scotland.
“There are only two options that are open to politicians after something goes against them – either you go off in a sulk and keep fighting it or you put your shoulders to the wheel and try and do the very best that you can do.
“The questions that Brexit throws up are not answered by leaving another union we have been in for three centuries, that we helped build together, we helped grow together, we have ownership of, that encourages and encompasses our closest neighbours, our biggest trading partners and our dearest friends. We don’t answer it that way.”
The Scottish Tory leader urged Ms Sturgeon to end the “megaphone diplomacy” and work with the UK Government constructively.
And she renewed her call for the Scottish Government to scrap its controversial named persons scheme.
