Ruth Davidson backs Jeremy Hunt

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has declared her support for Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in the Tory leadership race.

This afternoon Davidson took to Twitter to announce: “Any Conservative leadership candidate must put the Union first. Jeremy has done so and will get my vote.”

Hunt told The Times this week he believed preserving the United Kingdom was more important than achieving Brexit.

Davidson joins deputy Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw, who backed Hunt yesterday, tweeting: “Taken my time over any endorsement. Impressed with the energy, commitment and substance shown by @Jeremy_Hunt and his resolute defence of the UK. Scottish Conservatives must make the right choice to be our UK leader and Britain’s next Prime Minister.”

She initially backed Home Secretary of State Sajid Javid, however he was voted out of the race last Thursday.

She then put her support behind Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affair Michael Gove, but he failed to make it to the final two. After Gove lost Davidson tweeted: “Sorry @michaelgove #kissofdeath.”

In the coming weeks Tory members will cast their vote on the winner of the leadership race, which is now between Hunt and front-runner Boris Johnson.

Davidson has been a fierce critic of Johnson in the past.

Johnson currently has the support of at least four Scottish Conservatives.