Former leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Ruth Davidson has hinted in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph’s Stella magazine that she might not only return to big politics, but even compete for the leadership when the Tories are in opposition in Westminster.
“It may well be that my time in politics doesn’t come again until we’re in opposition. I’ve probably got more experience than anyone in the party on how to lead from opposition”, she said, adding: “If someone tapped on my door and asked me to help, I’d be there in a heartbeat”.
However, as she acknowledged, she is not ready to travel hundreds of kilometres away from her family for the majority of the week. According to her, she has got “four or five years when my son isn’t at school”.
“It’s just some things are more important than politics”, she told the outlet.
Davidson, who is a member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Central, has a one-year-old son and explained her resignation as the Scottish Tory leader this August as being due to an imbalance between her work and family life since his birth. She also cited UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's prorogation of Parliament, which came just a day before her bombshell announcement, as the reason for stepping down after eight years at the job.
Boris Johnson thanked her for her service and praised her for helping revive the Conservative Party's "electoral fortunes" in Scotland, despite their political differences.
Davidson was a staunch advocate for remaining in the European Union during the 2016 referendum, placing her in opposition to Johnson's Vote Leave campaign. She also supported Sajid Javid during the Conservative leadership contest, adding that after the PM assumed office, she would not back him if he pursued a no-deal Brexit.
Davidson's resignation was seen as a major defeat to the UK government's effort to keep Scotland in the UK, British media reported following her announcement. Her work led to the successful Better Together campaign in 2014, which argued that Scotland should remain in the United Kingdom following Edinburgh's Scottish independence referendum, but calls by top Scottish National Party leaders to launch a second independence vote could gain an extra boost from her departure.
