Ruth Davidson expected to quit as Scottish Conservative leader

Ruth Davidson at Conservative conference - Image credit: PA

Ruth Davidson is expected to quit as Scottish Conservative leader this morning.

Senior figures within the party confirmed on Wednesday that she would make a statement within 24 hours.

The news that she intended to stand down, which was broken by the Scottish Sun yesterday, emerged on the day that the Prime Minister asking the Queen to suspend Parliament.

It is understood that she has struggled to combine being a mother with her political career since returning from maternity leave after giving birth son Finn in October last year.

A Conservative source told The Sun: “Ruth's been talking to senior party figures in the Conservatives for the last few weeks, both in Scotland and down south.

“She has been under huge pressure as a new mum.

“Nobody really fully understands how your life is going to change as a parent until it happens. Ruth is no different in this respect.

“She's tried to juggle motherhood with being the very high-profile leader of the opposition in Scotland, and it's taken its toll.

“All of this has been made more difficult with the current political climate, where she's found herself at increasing odds with the new leadership in London.

“The events unfolding at Westminster have not helped."

One friend told Holyrood’s sister site PoliticsHome: “It's much more personal than political, although that hasn't helped.”

Davidson, who is credited with improving the Tories' fortunes in Scotland, including the election of 13 Conservative MPs in 2017, is known to have had her differences with Boris Johnson.

They were on opposing sides in the Brexit referendum, where she challenged him in debates, and she backed Sajid Javid and then Jeremy Hunt against him in the Conservative leadership contest.

After he became prime minister, Davidson said she would support Johnson, but would not support a no-deal Brexit.

She said: "I hope beyond measure the new Prime Minister is successful in getting an agreement with the EU so he can go back to the House of Commons and get the majority backing he needs.

“He has my full support in those efforts.

"Where I differ with the UK government is on the question of a no deal Brexit.

"When I was debating against the pro-Brexit side in 2016, I don't remember anybody saying we should crash out of the EU with no arrangements in place to help maintain the vital trade that flows uninterrupted between Britain and the European Union.

"I don't think the Government should pursue a no deal Brexit and, if it comes to it, I won't support it."

And in a recent talk at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, she explained her support for Johnson.

She said: “I was taught in the [Territorial Army] that you salute the rank, not the person that wears it.

“I am utterly professional about what I do.

I genuinely believe that if the Prime Minister does well, then the country does well, so I want him to land a deal.

“Any background that we have is completely irrelevant to looking out for the national interest and I will always endeavour to do that to the best of my ability and for what I think that is.

“I personally don’t think that no deal is in the national interest which is why I’m arguing against it and there’s sometimes where some of the clash that’s written up comes from.”