Ruth Davidson became leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party in large part because she was the candidate favoured by the party establishment. Where Murdo Fraser suggested – rather too boldly as it turned out – the party should fold its tent and start again under a new banner, Davidson preferred a more cautious approach. Moreover, she said it was time to “draw a line in the sand” on the matter of transferring further powers to the Scottish parliament.
A little more than a year later it seems as though that line has been washed away by the tide. Perhaps it was a mistake to draw it in the first place. Davidson gave a speech yesterday in which she hinted – albeit only in broad terms – that the Scottish Tories are prepared to countenance some – albeit as yet undefined – form of fiscal autonomy for Scotland. If you think I think that it’s about bleedin’ time that happened then you’d be right.
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