Ruth Davidson’s departure doesn’t mean the end of the Union

The departure yesterday of Ruth Davidson as leader of the Scottish Conservatives has prompted much discomfort among some pro-Union commentators. There is no doubt that she was a stunningly effective campaigner but it is an exaggeration to claim that the revival in the fortunes of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party was solely down to her.

Davidson received a substantial boost from the fact that the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 redrew the Scottish political map, creating a binary division between pro-independence and pro-union forces. In the aftermath of the vote, Davidson was by far the canniest operator, ensuring the Tories were the most staunchly pro-union party. But whoever her successor is will have been helped by John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn throwing Scottish Labour under a bus by indicating that they would not block a second referendum in exchange for SNP votes in the “English” parliament.

Davidson’s successor will also have another simple advantage: Scotland benefits significantly from being part of the United Kingdom.