As May stumbles, charismatic Scottish leader rises

London

A CHARISMATIC politician with a sense of humour who is respected even by her rivals, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson was everything Prime Minister Theresa May was not on the campaign trail.

After winning 13 seats in Scotland - 12 more than the previous tally - and denting nationalist First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's plans for independence, she is now an influential voice following Britain's general election.

That is in contrast with Mrs May, who is scrambling to stay on by attempting to forge a deal with Northern Ireland's ultra-conservative Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to get the support of its 10 MPs (Members of Parliament) after losing her majority.

The success of the Scottish Conservatives helped save Mrs May from total disaster and could now give the 38-year-old Ms Davidson a more prominent rol…