RUTH Davidson has said she will work with Boris Johnson if he becomes Prime Minister.
The Scottish Tory leader said she would “judge him on the same criteria as I judge any of the candidates”.
It comes after Mr Johnson confirmed he will run for the Tory Party leadership last week.
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Ms Davidson has been seen as a persistent critic of the former Foreign Secretary, but recent reports have suggested she is dialling down attacks to avoid Nicola Sturgeon using them to boost her drive for independence.
In an interview with the Scottish Daily Express, she was asked if she could work with Mr Johnson if he wins the race.
She said: “I have worked with him when he was Foreign Secretary. I will work with whoever the Prime Minister is.”
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She joked: “I haven’t had a phone call yet to ask me to run his campaign in Scotland. I am not expecting the call.
“But I will genuinely judge him on the same criteria as I judge any of the candidates.”
Ms Davidson said she will measure Tory leadership candidates against three tests: strengthening the union, advancing Scotland’s interests and healing the divisions of the Scottish independence and EU referendums.
But Ms Sturgeon hit out at her comments on social media, tweeting: “There’s a pattern here. When bad things look unlikely to happen (ie Brexit before the referendum or Boris as PM a few months ago), Ruth Davidson opposes them because it’s safe.
“But when these things do happen or look likely to, she falls meekly into line. That’s not leadership.”
Ms Davidson previously ruled out running for Prime Minister because she values her "mental health too much".
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