This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-40232374

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 5 Version 6
Ruth Davidson: 'No plans for breakaway party' Davidson says Scots Tory MPs will argue Scotland's case 'forcefully'
(35 minutes later)
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has dismissed reports that Scots Tories might "break away" from the main UK party. Ruth Davidson has said she will argue Scotland's case "forcefully" to the prime minister after major Tory gains north of the border.
She tweeted that she fought a leadership campaign opposing the idea of a separate organisation in Scotland. The Scottish Conservative leader said she wanted to build consensus around a Brexit deal that put economic advancement at its heart.
Tory MSP Murdo Fraser, however, said Scots MPs would "work behind the scenes" to champion Scotland's interests on issues like immigration. She also dismissed reports that Scots Tories might "break away" from the main UK party.
The Scottish Conservatives won an extra 12 seats in Thursday's election.The Scottish Conservatives won an extra 12 seats in Thursday's election.
The performance of Tories north of the border was in marked contrast to that in England and Wales where Prime Minister Theresa May lost her majority in the House of Commons. The performance of Scottish Tories was in marked contrast to that in England and Wales where Prime Minister Theresa May lost her majority in the House of Commons.
The Daily Telegraph reported that a strengthened Ms Davidson now wanted to "tear her Scottish party away from English control" after tensions during the campaign, and that her aides were working on a deal to set up a separate organisation in Scotland, albeit with a close relationship with the English party. Ms Davidson spoke to reporters in Stirling as she showed off the 13 Scottish Conservatives who will now take their seats at Westminster.
Ms Davidson responded by tweeting: "Folk might remember I fought a leadership election on the other side of that particular argument." She said: "I'm going to make sure that along with the 13 MPs we're sending to Westminster, we put Scotland's case forcefully and make sure that we deliver for Scotland and make sure that the union delivers for Scotland too."
A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives added: "The reality is that the party in Scotland already has autonomy and has done for the last few years. We set out our own policy, we pick our own candidates, and we run the party to our own rules in Scotland." She added: "I want to ensure that we can look again at issues like Brexit which we know we are now going to have to get cross-party support for - and move to a consensus within the country about what it means and what we seek to achieve as we leave."
The Scottish Daily Telegraph's editor Alan Cochrane said he stood by the story and said it was "impeccably sourced". Asked what she meant with her call for an "open Brexit" she said: "I've never believed in the terms of hard or soft Brexit.
Ms Davidson later attended a news conference in Stirling with the new intake of Tory MPs at which she was asked if she would press for a softer line on Brexit.
She responded: "I've never believed in the terms of hard or soft Brexit.
"I want to talk about open or closed - and as someone who believes in open politics, that's about making sure we tear down barriers rather than put them up."I want to talk about open or closed - and as someone who believes in open politics, that's about making sure we tear down barriers rather than put them up.
"It's about making sure we put free trade and economic advancement at the heart of the Brexit deal as we leave. "It's about making sure we put free trade and economic advancement at the heart of the Brexit deal as we leave."
"That also means making sure we have freedoms for key groups like our fisherman. We have to enforce the 200 mile or median catch line to make sure as we come out of the CFP we get a good deal for our fishermen." She also said she had received assurances from Theresa May that any deal with the Democratic Unionist Party would not erode LGBTI rights in Northern Ireland, and that the UK government would use its influence to "advance" those rights.
In an early indication that she might seek a greater influence in the UK party, Ms Davidson said on Friday she had been given assurances that any Conservative deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) would not affect LGBTI rights. Earlier she had taken to Twitter to dismiss a report in the Daily Telegraph that she wanted to "tear her Scottish party away from English control" .
In Stirling, she went further, saying she had asked that the UK government use its influence to "advance" LGBTI rights in Northern Ireland. The paper, which stands by its report, said there were tensions during the campaign, and that Ms Davidson's aides were working on a deal to set up a separate organisation in Scotland.
Senior Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said earlier the new 13-strong "phalanx" of Scottish Tory MPs would make a "huge difference", ensuring "the interests of Scotland will be heard much more strongly than ever before". Pressed on the issue in Stirling, she said: it had been decided when she became leader that "we would have complete autonomy over policy, candidates, campaigning, finance, which is what we have... but we would take the Conservative whip at Westminster and that is exactly what is going to happen".
He told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: "I think we can have a tremendous amount of leverage. Ms Davidson also confirmed she had given her "full support" to Mrs May staying on as prime minister.
"If you take the interests of Scottish business, sectors like agriculture, food production hospitality - are hugely dependent on access to migrant labour. Earlier the SNP's cabinet secretary for finance and the constitution, Derek Mackay, insisted his party had won the election in Scotland, despite seeing its number of MPs fall from 56 to 35.
"We don't want to see that disrupted. We want to see as much movement as possible of migrant workers." He told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: "The 2015 result was incredible, very difficult to repeat - but we won more seats than all the other parties put together."
Interviewed on the same programme, the SNP's cabinet secretary for finance and the constitution, Derek Mackay, insisted his party had won the election in Scotland, despite seeing its number of MPs fall from 56 to 35.
He said: "The 2015 result was incredible, very difficult to repeat - but we won more seats than all the other parties put together."
He said it was too early to say whether the SNP would now "park" its demand for a second independence referendum after 60% of Scottish voters backed pro-union parties.He said it was too early to say whether the SNP would now "park" its demand for a second independence referendum after 60% of Scottish voters backed pro-union parties.
"Of course we will listen and reflect. It's too premature to say what we would do next around that," he said."Of course we will listen and reflect. It's too premature to say what we would do next around that," he said.
"We will continue to deliver good governance for Scotland, stand up for Scotland in the Westminster parliament, make sure we can get the best possible deal for Scotland in terms of the negotiations on Brexit.""We will continue to deliver good governance for Scotland, stand up for Scotland in the Westminster parliament, make sure we can get the best possible deal for Scotland in terms of the negotiations on Brexit."
He added: "I don't think this has undermined the argument for Scottish independence, but clearly there has been so much political volatility over the last few years. ...it's right to reflect on the result and then decide how we go further - and that's what the first minister has said she's doing."
Scottish Labour demanded Nicola Sturgeon ditch plans for a second independence referendum.Scottish Labour demanded Nicola Sturgeon ditch plans for a second independence referendum.
James Kelly, who was the party's election campaign manager, said: "Nicola Sturgeon has some very serious questions to answer now.James Kelly, who was the party's election campaign manager, said: "Nicola Sturgeon has some very serious questions to answer now.
"She must categorically drop her plans for a divisive second independence referendum and get back to the day job."She must categorically drop her plans for a divisive second independence referendum and get back to the day job.
"Across the UK, the election showed there is huge support for Labour's vision for investment in our public services, and Nicola Sturgeon needs to accept that she has been too distracted by the constitution for too long.""Across the UK, the election showed there is huge support for Labour's vision for investment in our public services, and Nicola Sturgeon needs to accept that she has been too distracted by the constitution for too long."