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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/11/scottish-tories-expected-vote-bloc-protect-scotlands-interests
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Scottish Tories expected to vote as bloc to protect Scotland's interests | Scottish Tories expected to vote as bloc to protect Scotland's interests |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Scotland’s new group of Conservative MPs will be expected to vote as a bloc to protect the nation’s interests at Westminster, adding to the pressures facing Theresa May’s ailing government. | Scotland’s new group of Conservative MPs will be expected to vote as a bloc to protect the nation’s interests at Westminster, adding to the pressures facing Theresa May’s ailing government. |
| The Scottish Tories had their best election result since 1983 last week, returning 13 MPs, after the party’s Scottish leader, Ruth Davidson, ran an autonomous campaign which sidelined May. It prioritised Scottish policies, causing tensions with the prime minister’s key advisers at Downing Street. | The Scottish Tories had their best election result since 1983 last week, returning 13 MPs, after the party’s Scottish leader, Ruth Davidson, ran an autonomous campaign which sidelined May. It prioritised Scottish policies, causing tensions with the prime minister’s key advisers at Downing Street. |
| The scale of that success, with the Tories toppling two of the Scottish National party’s most powerful figures at Westminster in Alex Salmond and the deputy leader, Angus Robertson, has greatly increased Davidson’s influence inside the Conservative party at a UK level. | The scale of that success, with the Tories toppling two of the Scottish National party’s most powerful figures at Westminster in Alex Salmond and the deputy leader, Angus Robertson, has greatly increased Davidson’s influence inside the Conservative party at a UK level. |
| In a sign of her confidence about her new-found power, Davidson went public on Saturday to say she had sought and received cast-iron guarantees from May that the Conservative deal with the Democratic Unionist party would not lead to any retreat on gay rights or equal marriage policy. | In a sign of her confidence about her new-found power, Davidson went public on Saturday to say she had sought and received cast-iron guarantees from May that the Conservative deal with the Democratic Unionist party would not lead to any retreat on gay rights or equal marriage policy. |
| The socially conservative DUP, which is closely aligned to evangelical Protestantism, has resolutely blocked any equal marriage measures in Northern Ireland. Davidson is the most prominent gay leader in the Conservatives, and she plans to marry her Roman Catholic partner, Jen Wilson. | The socially conservative DUP, which is closely aligned to evangelical Protestantism, has resolutely blocked any equal marriage measures in Northern Ireland. Davidson is the most prominent gay leader in the Conservatives, and she plans to marry her Roman Catholic partner, Jen Wilson. |
| Scottish Tory sources say Davidson will use her authority by asking all 13 MPs, including the Scottish secretary, David Mundell, to “champion the Scottish national interest” both at Westminster and inside the government. | Scottish Tory sources say Davidson will use her authority by asking all 13 MPs, including the Scottish secretary, David Mundell, to “champion the Scottish national interest” both at Westminster and inside the government. |
| That includes fighting for greater Scottish powers and spending on fisheries and agriculture during and after the Brexit negotiations, to reinforce Holyrood’s existing powers in both areas under devolution. | That includes fighting for greater Scottish powers and spending on fisheries and agriculture during and after the Brexit negotiations, to reinforce Holyrood’s existing powers in both areas under devolution. |
| She is also expected to ask the UK government to fund the Borderlands initiative, a cross-border economic and infrastructure investment coalition of English and Scottish local authorities which UK ministers had promised to support. The Scottish Tories won all three Borders seats on Thursday. | She is also expected to ask the UK government to fund the Borderlands initiative, a cross-border economic and infrastructure investment coalition of English and Scottish local authorities which UK ministers had promised to support. The Scottish Tories won all three Borders seats on Thursday. |
| In a near rout of the SNP in north-east Scotland, the Tories took six seats, including several held by the SNP for decades, after pledging to Eurosceptic fishermen and pro-Brexit voters that their interests and industries would be protected. | In a near rout of the SNP in north-east Scotland, the Tories took six seats, including several held by the SNP for decades, after pledging to Eurosceptic fishermen and pro-Brexit voters that their interests and industries would be protected. |
| That raises the prospect of clashes with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) over sharing budgets with the Scottish government and diverging fisheries policies within the UK after Brexit. | That raises the prospect of clashes with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) over sharing budgets with the Scottish government and diverging fisheries policies within the UK after Brexit. |
| Interest in Davidson becoming an MP and joining the UK cabinet has grown after the Scottish party’s general election conquests. Without those 13 Scottish seats, May would have been unable to arrange a working majority with the DUP and would likely face a concerted effort by Labour to form an alternative government with SNP and Lib Dem support. | Interest in Davidson becoming an MP and joining the UK cabinet has grown after the Scottish party’s general election conquests. Without those 13 Scottish seats, May would have been unable to arrange a working majority with the DUP and would likely face a concerted effort by Labour to form an alternative government with SNP and Lib Dem support. |
| However, Davidson is not expected to call on every member of her Scottish group to vote as a bloc on other UK-wide or international matters, such as social or moral issues, or the trade, immigration or treaty parts of the Brexit deal. | However, Davidson is not expected to call on every member of her Scottish group to vote as a bloc on other UK-wide or international matters, such as social or moral issues, or the trade, immigration or treaty parts of the Brexit deal. |
| There are deep splits within the Scottish Tories on Brexit, and Davidson has said she will be calling for a softer Brexit. On Friday, she said Britain needed “the freest trade possible” with the EU and should seek an “open Brexit, not a closed one, which puts our country’s economic growth first”. | There are deep splits within the Scottish Tories on Brexit, and Davidson has said she will be calling for a softer Brexit. On Friday, she said Britain needed “the freest trade possible” with the EU and should seek an “open Brexit, not a closed one, which puts our country’s economic growth first”. |
| “Being Scottish doesn’t make them any more or less liberal, or any more or less Brexity,” than other Tory MPs, one source said. | “Being Scottish doesn’t make them any more or less liberal, or any more or less Brexity,” than other Tory MPs, one source said. |
| The new Tory MP for Aberdeen South, Ross Thomson, was a prominent Tory spokesman for the leave campaign in Scotland. Davidson took a frontline role in David Cameron’s remain campaign, on one occasion implying that Boris Johnson, now foreign secretary and leave campaigner, was a liar in a television debate. | The new Tory MP for Aberdeen South, Ross Thomson, was a prominent Tory spokesman for the leave campaign in Scotland. Davidson took a frontline role in David Cameron’s remain campaign, on one occasion implying that Boris Johnson, now foreign secretary and leave campaigner, was a liar in a television debate. |
| Michael Russell, the Scottish government’s chief Brexit negotiator, said he welcomed Davidson’s softer tone on Brexit but said the UK government had to urgently start talks with devolved governments about a common position since talks with the EU were to start in eight days. | Michael Russell, the Scottish government’s chief Brexit negotiator, said he welcomed Davidson’s softer tone on Brexit but said the UK government had to urgently start talks with devolved governments about a common position since talks with the EU were to start in eight days. |
| He indicated Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, would likely postpone indefinitely her plans for a second referendum after the SNP’s defeats last week, when it lost 21 of its 56 seats. | He indicated Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, would likely postpone indefinitely her plans for a second referendum after the SNP’s defeats last week, when it lost 21 of its 56 seats. |
| “To some extent everything is off the table in the sense that Brexit has to be sorted now and it has to be sorted or start to be sorted this week. So that’s the urgent priority to do,” Russell told the BBC’s Sunday Politics. | “To some extent everything is off the table in the sense that Brexit has to be sorted now and it has to be sorted or start to be sorted this week. So that’s the urgent priority to do,” Russell told the BBC’s Sunday Politics. |
| Davidson and other senior figures in the Scottish Tories are also considering whether they need to reinforce or increase their independence from the UK party, after clear differences emerged between them and Conservative headquarters in London over the style and tone of the election campaign. | Davidson and other senior figures in the Scottish Tories are also considering whether they need to reinforce or increase their independence from the UK party, after clear differences emerged between them and Conservative headquarters in London over the style and tone of the election campaign. |
| The prime minister’s face and name was largely excluded from the Scottish campaign and Tory election literature. Davidson has been repeatedly attacked by the SNP and Labour for defending controversial UK government policies, including the “rape clause” where women who want extra tax credits would have to prove a third child was the result of a rape, or was adopted. | The prime minister’s face and name was largely excluded from the Scottish campaign and Tory election literature. Davidson has been repeatedly attacked by the SNP and Labour for defending controversial UK government policies, including the “rape clause” where women who want extra tax credits would have to prove a third child was the result of a rape, or was adopted. |
| Davidson endorsed centrist policies which are decided by the Scottish parliament including protecting universal winter fuel payments and free prescriptions, and fought the election on the distinctive issue of opposing Scottish independence. | Davidson endorsed centrist policies which are decided by the Scottish parliament including protecting universal winter fuel payments and free prescriptions, and fought the election on the distinctive issue of opposing Scottish independence. |
| Conservatives | Conservatives |
| Ruth Davidson | Ruth Davidson |
| General election 2017 | General election 2017 |
| Scotland | Scotland |
| Theresa May | Theresa May |
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