Kenny MacAskill: The deification of Davidson belongs in a parallel universe

Of course, Theresa May’s Tories in the UK have become not just dysfunctional but malodorous, lurching from crisis to crisis and hanging on by a whisker in recent elections. Meanwhile, in Scotland Ms Davidson has presided over a Tory political comeback and to be fair she’s also been vivacious, proving popular in person and style.

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But, in many ways she’s an extremely lucky politician in how she got there and especially in how she is being seen. For whatever her positioning, she’s accountable for the Tories and has proven beholden to London, whether on a Brexit that she opposed or their social and economic policies that she decries. At the end of the day she’s as responsible as them and has simply become the acceptable face of Toryism, but its Toryism all the same.

She’s personable as I found both in parliament and in her previous life as a reporter where she was firm but fair. Her sexuality and relative youth have been a breath of fresh air for a party more associated with “blue rinse” ladies than young gay women. Her pregnancy likewise crosses a Rubicon for a party where Jacob Rees-Mogg appears another idol, yet possesses antediluvian social views and the party not just panders to but is propped up by the reactionary DUP.

When she was elected leader, it was almost by accident when the leading candidate Murdo Fraser crashed and burned. Ironically, he did so for the heinous crime of suggesting a separate Tory party north of the Border, which was loudly rejected by Ms Davidson and was evident in the support she gained. Yet since becoming leader her strength and prestige have been due to pursuing a distinct line, albeit not a distinct party north of the Border.

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By then the Tories had also lost the toxicity that had seen them wiped out in 1997 but she benefited from their rehabilitation under the stable and debonair David McLetchie and then the feisty and fun Great Dame in Annabel Goldie. The party wasn’t back, but it was in recovery.

Her early tenure saw her flung into the referendum battle where she was again fortunate. Labour’s political hari-kari in joining the Better Together campaign saw the Tories come to the fore and her in a position to inherit, which she did in the elections following it. Both the 2016 Holyrood and the 2017 Westminster elections saw the revival continue by becoming the official opposition and claiming significant SNP scalps.

However, truth be told the Tories for all that were still not back at the levels they had polled under John Major or even in some elections under Margaret Thatcher. But perception is everything and victory was proclaimed and perceived. She was hailed as the single-handed slayer and a star was born for the Tory conference circuit.

Again to be fair, she’s performed with aplomb. She’s proven a safe pair of hands and even a star turn on occasion, such as her joust with Boris Johnson in a Brexit debate. She’s portrayed as a coming force in Westminster and almost the surrogate leader of liberal Toryism.

However, there has been a distinct lack of scrutiny of the reality of her policies or positioning. The Brexit debate in which she excelled has since seen her perform not just a backflip but a whole-scale retreat even on issues like the customs union and single market. The most recent distortion of the truth was in the reception given to her defence of immigration and opposition to tax cuts when the NHS faces crisis. All that was lauded by many Tory commentators south of the Border despairing of the return of the nasty party and the collapse of the greatest public institution. Yet in Scotland she had decried modest tax rises to sustain public services as if the rich were being squeezed until the pips squeaked and refused to support Scottish Government proposals for a distinct immigration policy to meet the nation’s evident needs.

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The distortion of reality was continued earlier this week in an interview with the Financial Times where she declared that if she were in Northern Ireland she would vote to change the abortion laws. All fair and well until she added: “But as someone who operates in a devolved administration I know how angry I would be if the House of Commons legislated on a devolved Scottish issue over the head of Holyrood.” Given the ongoing debate over the powers of the parliament that’s pretty shameless.

Perhaps, all this happens because the Tories are so brutish south of the Border but it shouldn’t hide the fact that their policies are supported and replicated by their Scottish colleagues. And brutish they are, as was deftly detailed in a fine column on Austerity Britain in the New York Times. There an almost Dickensian picture was painted of civic society hurting and poverty biting. Once-great institutions in north of England towns such as libraries and swimming pools were being staffed by volunteers or shutting down.

Stark indeed and not written by Robert Tressell, author of The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists or another socialist but by the European economic editor of one of the world’s great newspapers. The response by Tory commentators was caustic indeed. Andrew Neil tweeted that it was a “parody of reporting. Almost as hostile to UK now as it was slavish in its support of Stalinist Russia in 1930s”. Aye, to see ourselves as others see us more like. This Government isn’t just dysfunctional but deliberately cruel.

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Ms Davidson has performed well and good luck with her pregnancy, it’s a joyous moment. But politically I can’t wish her well because she’s the same old Tories and she’s equally culpable. The deification of her isn’t just misplaced but belongs in a parallel universe.