Ruth Davidson says Jeremy Corbyn is not a shoo-in for Number 10
The Scottish Tory leader says the Labour leader's "bubble" can be burst, adding: "People tire of being offered free unicorns."
Monday 2 October 2017 03:54, UK
Ruth Davidson has dismissed suggestions Jeremy Corbyn is a dead cert to be the next Prime Minister, telling the Conservative party conference: "He hasn't even won a raffle".
The Scottish Tory leader told delegates her experience north of the border, where the Tories enjoyed their best performance in decades in June's election, shows political fortunes can be reversed no matter how dire the prognosis.
She said: "Politics is not for faint hearts. It's not about what's in fashion or who is the absolute boy," the latter a term of admiration some Corbyn supporters have used when referring to the Labour leader.
"Just as the SNP came crashing down to earth, Just as they lost 40% of their seats in June, Just as half a million Scots chose to take their vote away, so too can the Corbyn bubble burst, but only if we work hard to make it so.
"Because, you know what? People tire of being offered free unicorns. Of easy promises that don't add up."
In a well-received speech, Ms Davidson also made a tongue in cheek reference to suggestions she could be in the running for the Tory leadership, saying: "Now let me make this clear: conference, I love London. No plans to move there myself, but great to visit."
At a fringe event earlier, Ms Davidson attacked the "Tory psychodrama" surrounding Theresa May's leadership and said the party should be focusing on "real issues".
She said she was "not standing to be the leader of the party", adding: "I don't sit in the House of Commons, let's get back to why we are here, to talk about the real issues and not about the Tory psychodrama."
The start of the Manchester conference - and Mrs May's bid to win back young voters - has been
The central thrust of Ms Davidson's speech was a demand for Scotland to benefit more from being part of the Union, with a plea for more government jobs to be relocated north.
She said the UK "continues to be far too London-centric" and claimed the capital has "enough civil servants to fill Wembley stadium".
The imbalance between London and other parts of the country is "crazy", Ms Davidson told delegates.