Ruth Davidson

Back to politics with a bump.

So who exactly is Ruth Davidson then? I'll tell you.

You see now, I'm being unoriginal; I've already done this gag - I'm being puerile all over again. Although, since making comparisons between Alex Salmond and North Korean dictators is OK, I'm going to let myself off.

This is she:

Any likeness is purely coincidental, although you can't say the same thing about political doctrine. You see Ruth and Kim have something in common - an extremely cavalier attitude to the workings of democracy.

Kim Jong-Un, son of Kim Jong-il among other things is the hereditary Supreme Ruler of North Korea, Chairman of the Central Military Commission, First Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea, the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and has been First Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea. He has two degrees, one in physics and another in making war and being a bit of a nutter.

Ruth Davidson on the other hand is Glasgow Regional List MSP and the current leader of the Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party, she enjoys kickboxing (I hope she doesn't read this,) dog walking (apparently) and has a degree in English Lit from Edinburgh University.. In 2009 she was encouraged to stand for the Glasgow North East seat vacated by Labour MP and ex-Speaker of the House Michael Martin (who left under a cloud created by the expenses scandal.) Embarrassingly, she was beaten by Labour's Willie Bain, he of the 'Bain Principle' which states, all SNP policy must be opposed even if its also Labour policy - he's also a bit of a gonk.

Before becoming an MSP Ruth worked mainly for the BBC, having one more thing in common with Kim Jong-il insofar as - neither have had a job in the real world.

Anyway, I digress, the cavalier attitude to democracy - well - Kim wears his on his sleeve; its a bit obvious. Ruth on the other hand makes her feelings known during interviews and in speeches hidden within management consultancy hyperbole. Not wishing to bog folks down with detail, she started her leadership with a 'line in the sand'; there would be no more powers for Holyrood but more recently, has changed her tune. (Both links are from the Telegraph, a Tory newspaper if ever there was one...)

More recently (on Sunday Politics Scotland - last 20 minutes,) she has vowed to prevent any further referenda on independence should Scotland vote no in September 2014, she went on to say that Holyrood was broken because the SNP managed to get a majority in a voting system designed to disallow majorities, (Westminster on the other hand, where a party can win on a minority vote is working perfectly fine.) I think its safe to say, if any other party - say, a unionist one - got that majority; she'd be less vocal.

So, if uber-tory Ruth gets into power, she'll do her best to limit the democratic will of the people living in Scotland. She's starting with referenda on the constitution, what might be next?

Independence is a party policy, a pretty big one; but a policy never-the-less. Is it OK for a politician representing the party currently in power at Westminster to openly stifle democracy to the benefit of her own party and its expressed wishes? More-over, what will the Conservatives at Westminster do if Scotland rejects Independence this time round? It won't be pretty and if Ruth gets her way, there will be nothing you can do about it.

She has zero chance of getting into power at Holyrood, but the party which gives her her orders are already in the driving seat at Westminster, it can and most probably will neuter Holyrood after a no vote so that we'd be forever tethered to a failing Westminster system of government.

In her speech at the Tory conference in Stirling at the weekend there, Ruth wrapped up to a capacity crowd with the following words (among others):

"...And we will work for a Scotland that enjoys success everyone can share in...." (Not my emphasis.)

Ruth Davidson enjoying a well earned cup of tea after her speech to conference.