Scottish Tory ‘heroine’ Ruth Davidson signals to May she’ll use her new power to scupper hard Brexit

Edinburgh Central MP wields considerable influence after party won 13 seats in Scotland, and has hinted she will use her sway to influence EU deal

Ruth Davidson has vowed to scupper Theresa May's hard Brexit, warning the Prime Minister her blueprint needs to be “reopened”.

The Scottish Tory leader said she wanted to prioritise the economy and free trade in the upcoming EU negotiations, and that restricting immigration would not be a key focus.

Ms Davidson now wields considerable influence after the party in Scotland won 13 seats.

Former Tory Chancellor George Osborne described her as the “heroine of the party” who is now “flexing her muscles”.

“She is the heroine of the party, if she had not won seats in Scotland ... there would not be a Conservative government,” the Evening Standard editor told The Andrew Marr Show.

“I don’t think there is a majority now in the House of Commons for hard Brexit ... and if the Ruth Davidsons of this world are starting to flex their muscles, in my view that can only be a good thing.”

Her increased power could put Ms May’s Brexit plans in jeopardy after the Prime Minister was significantly weakened when she failed to win a majority in the Commons in the general election.

The Scottish leader has already hinted she will use her sway to influence the Brexit deal, and has insisted there needs to be wider consensus on the terms of leaving the EU, including consultation with opposition parties.

She has also vowed her 13 MPs would vote “entirely as they believe that they should”.

“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,” she said.

“And move to a consensus within the country about what it means and what we seek to achieve as we leave.”

It comes after Downing Street said a “confidence and supply” arrangement had been reached with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party, which will be put to the Cabinet for discussion on Monday.

But no deal has yet been finalised and talks on the arrangement will continue during the week as Ms May desperately tries to shore up her position.

The strength of any deal looks set to be tested when the Commons meets, with Jeremy Corbyn vowing to try to bring down the Government by defeating Mrs May in Parliament and insisting: “I can still be Prime Minister.”