DOUGLAS Ross has ruled out Ruth Davidson playing any Holyrood strategy role after May’s election after the outgoing former party leader was placed front and centre of campaign material.
Ms Davidson, who is not seeking re-election for her Edinburgh Central seat next month, has been given a prominent profile on election leaflets and a television advert, despite not standing.
The former Scottish Tory leader, who has quit Holyrood to take up a place in the House of Lords, has joined the current leader on the campaign trail in Edinburgh.
Mr Ross ruled out Ms Davidson playing any role in the Scottish Conservatives’ strategy or decision-making after the election.
Asked about any future role, he said: “No, certainly not at Holyrood. It’s clear that she’s not seeking re-election.”
READ MORE: Ruth Davidson leads Tory Holyrood election ad despite heading for Lords
Mr Ross said he was “looking forward to having Ruth out on the campaign trail” with him, adding that “she is a strong voice for Scotland’s place in the United Kingdom”.
He added: “She is determined to see the success we had in 2016 continue into this election in 2021.
“We stopped an SNP majority and stopped another independence referendum and five years on, with me as leader, that same message is the tried and tested approach to take if people want to unite behind the strongest pro-UK party to stop another referendum and stop another SNP majority.
“That’s what Ruth’s focus is on right now. It’s the same focus as mine and it’s the Scottish Conservative focus so we can then get a parliament that delivers on our recovery and rebuilding Scotland.”
YOU can stop another divisive independence referendum – but ONLY if you give your party list vote to the Scottish Conservatives.
— Scottish Conservatives (@ScotTories) April 7, 2021
Watch our latest PPB and together let's stop an SNP majority, just like we did in 2016👇 pic.twitter.com/v0moZgr8uq
The Scottish Tory leader added that “when you have someone who has the appeal” of Ms Davidson, “you use them”.
He added: “You use an asset like Ruth in your campaign.”
Mr Ross shrugged off any suggestion that the leaflets featuring the outgoing Ms Davidson are misleading to voters.
He said: “They are going to look at the leaflets and they are going to look at the poster campaigns and look at the message from the Scottish Conservatives and see a party that’s got an ambitious manifesto to take Scotland forward.”
READ MORE: Boris Johnson not expected in Scotland during election
Mr Ross added that the public will see “a party that realises the threat we are facing in this election is another independence referendum if the SNP get a majority” as well as “a parliament dominated by pro-independence MSPs who want to separate Scotland from the United Kingdom”.
He said: “There is one party with the strength right across the country to stop them and that is the Scottish Conservatives. That's what people get from our message in this election.”
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