FORMER Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has ruled out taking on the Scotland Secretary job, saying there is “not a chance” she would take it.
Davidson, who is set to take up a seat in the un-elected House of Lords at Westminster, made the assertion during an interview on Times Radio this morning.
The Tory was asked if she would take on the role by Matt Chorley, but quickly dismissed that she would and said current Scotland Secretary Alister Jack is doing the job “very well”.
During the interview, Baroness Davidson, as she is soon to be known, also said she doesn’t think Boris Johnson will allow a second independence referendum to go ahead.
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Davidson also did not rule out a return to the Better Together campaign should a constitutional vote happen in the next few years.
Asked if she would consider taking on the Scottish Secretary role, Davidson immediately responded that there is “not a chance” she would.
She said: "Well, one because Alister Jack is doing the job of Scottish Secretary very well, thank you very much.
"Two, because I promised my partner when I stepped away two years ago that I wouldn't do any big jobs until my son - and if we're blessed with any other younger brothers or sisters for them - are in school.
"And I intend to keep that promise. Lord knows in 10 years on the political front line I’ve broken enough promises to my friends and families, but that’s one I intend to keep.
“Also because of my political journey of becoming the leader in Holyrood basically as soon as I got elected, I missed out, and I didn't learn my trade on the back benches. And I made lots of mistakes because of that.
"And I'm actually looking, when I go to the Lords' to pick some projects to work on, to do some good work, and to learn.
"Actually at the age of 42, I'm going to really enjoy learning again."
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It comes as Davidson was quizzed on her views on the Union and a second independence referendum during the interview.
Asked if she would step forward if there was another independence referendum, to take part in the Better Together campaign, Davidson was dismissive of the possibility of a second vote.
She said: “I’ll always make sure that I make myself as useful as I can be. I honestly think, if there is another independence referendum campaign, it will be so far down the tracks that I’ll be an old dinosaur and there will be a whole generation of politicians that don’t want people like me hanging around.”
On who those politicians would be, Davidson pointed to current Scottish Tory boss Douglas Ross, Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar and Scottish LibDem leader Willie Rennie.
And on if Boris Johnson would campaign for Better Together, if Indyref2 happens under his premiership, Davidson said: “I just don’t see that, I understand why you’re asking me that, I don’t see that hypothesis coming to pass, the man has an 80 seat majority based on a manifesto pledged not to have one.”
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