RUTH Davidson has been touted as a surprise potential candidate in the race to succeed David Cameron when the Prime Minister stands down as the UK Conservative leader before the 2020 General Election.

The Scottish Conservative chief has become a darling of the UK Tory conference and last year was lauded following her performance in the successful No campaign in the Scottish independence referendum.

One senior ministerial source close to the PM, when asked if the Scottish Tory leader could be a potential candidate to succeed Mr Cameron, replied: “If people want a strong woman candidate to succeed him, then Ruth is obviously a strong woman candidate.”

During a fringe meeting at the Manchester conference, Ms Davidson was not asked specifically if she would be interested in the top job but said Westminster politics needed more women in senior roles.

She made clear that it was vital the best person was appointed to each post in public life as it came up but told Conservative activists in Manchester a mix of men and women at the top sent important signals.

All of the main Scottish political parties in Holyrood are led by women; in stark contrast to Westminster where none is.

The Tory conference is expected to be dominated by discussion of who will succeed Mr Cameron when he steps down as Tory leader and Prime Minister ahead of the next election.

Speaking at a fringe meeting, Ms Davidson said: "I hope the best people that come through are a good mix of men and women; it is important to the young women of this country that they think they can do anything.

"When I was growing up, Margaret Thatcher and the Queen were the two big people in the country. I asked, when I was told by a friend's mother that John Major had become Prime Minster, I apparently said 'can a man even be Prime Minister'? So that's the mindset I had.

"Nothing was ever going to stop me or get in my way but it is important people see people like them able to get on in our party, in every party, in every walk of public life.

"So yes, I would like to see more women at the top of politics at UK level as well as in Scotland," said the MSP.

The Scottish Tory leader explained her view had changed when she was appointed to lead the party north of the border.

"I had never thought role modelling matters very much because I have never really looked at who does a job and thought if they're like me then I can do that job too.

"So it never really occurred to me when I took on the leadership of the Scottish Conservatives it actually mattered to anyone else. But when I did, I got so many emails through, really, really personal, from mostly young men but some young women, across Scotland saying they were gay, that they weren't out yet, or they hadn't told their parents, or their school.

"They wanted to be in politics but had thought it wasn't for them even though - and I quote - 'even though I'm not a Tory', which appeared in nearly all of them. My election meant that it was something for them; I replied with a personal response to each and every person who wrote to me like that.

"It became apparent to me that actually it does matter who is at the top. I want the best person to lead our party at a UK level, I want the best person to beat the Labour Party at a UK level, the Liberal Democrats, the SNP."

Meantime, Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary, highlighted her leadership skills just days after throwing her hat into ring in the contest to succeed Mr Cameron, making clear she was no pushover.

She told Conservative supporters she had simply been giving a "straight answer" when she revealed plans to fight for the top job if family commitments allowed it.

Earlier, George Osborne said he would "see how it flies" when his colleague stands down as PM in an indication he plans to run to replace his ally in Downing Street.

The Chancellor stressed his loyalty to the Prime Minister, saying he owed it to Mr Cameron to do his current job "to the best of my ability until the day he stops being prime minister".

In a wide-ranging newspaper interview, the Chancellor - who revealed he was a fan of controversial US hip-hop act NWA - said he would "face up to" the prospect of a leadership run when the PM quits.

He said: "I never look at him and go, 'I should be sitting there, he's occupying my Cabinet seat, he's stolen my birthright'.

"I owe it to him to do this job to the best of my ability until the day he stops being Prime Minister. If I were for one moment to think, 'I'm not going to put this in my Budget because it might hinder my chance of becoming PM' or 'I'm going to avoid saying something controversial because there may be some Conservatives who don't like it and that might damage my chances' - if I ever thought like that I should be sacked."

He said he felt "nothing but pride" in Mr Cameron and expected to "stay close friends with him for the rest of my life".

Pressed on his ambitions for the top job, Mr Osborne said: "David Cameron has just been re-elected. Jeremy Corbyn and the entire Labour movement has headed off into the wilderness. It is an historic opportunity for the Conservative Party to cement a relationship with working people.

"There will probably be one, maybe two Labour leadership contests between now and then. Let's face up to it when the Tory leadership contest comes and see how it flies."

In an indication that there will not be a "coronation" for Mr Osborne when the Prime Minister quits, reports suggested a series of Tory figures could stand for the leadership.

London Mayor Boris Johnson is another high-profile figure widely viewed as a potential leadership contender.

It was reported as many as 18 ministers and former ministers were considering their leadership chances, including Theresa May, Sajid Javid, Jeremy Hunt, Chris Grayling, Graham Brady, Liz Truss, Andrea Leadsom, Justine Greening, Dominic Raab, Stephen Crabb, Anna Soubry, Penny Mordaunt and Priti Patel.

Former cabinet ministers Owen Paterson and Liam Fox are also considering whether to anoint a new right-wing standard bearer or run themselves.

Mrs May insisted it was not the time to talk about the leadership and candidates should only "cross that bridge when we come to it".