RUTH Davidson’s week started and ended with a PR disaster. Her decision to take up a lucrative post with Tulchan Communications – which would have earned her £50,000 for 25 days work a year – sparked outrage among the public and the media. Questions were rightly asked about where her loyalties would lie: to her Edinburgh Central constituents or the corporate interests she was being paid so handsomely to represent? Given the backlash, it came as no surprise when, later in the week, the former Scottish Tory leader announced that she was stepping down from the job she had yet to begin. Explaining her decision, a defiant Davidson said: “If I am asked to choose between Holyrood and this role, then I choose the Parliament I have dedicated the last nine years to.’’

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In her monologue to camera explaining her decision, she seemed almost surprised at the level of criticism she had faced. That is perhaps understandable when you consider how bruised the former media darling must have felt when they finally turned on her.

From one bad decision to another, Ruth Davidson sunk to new depths on Thursday. In response to a tweet quoting Nicola Sturgeon at FMQs, where the First Minister pointed out that Jackson Carlaw might be feeling a bit sensitive about back-bencher Davidson adorning the Scottish Tory election literature instead of him, Davidson posted: “Nicola Sturgeon: the last person on Earth who should be talking about political predecessors … ’’

Davidson was, of course, referring to the attempted rape and sexual assault charges against former First Minister and SNP leader and Alex Salmond. He strongly denies the allegations.

There are some things which should be off-limits in politics. An issue as serious as this is one of them. It is never acceptable to use the alleged abuse of women to take a dig at your opponent. For Ruth Davidson to be so knowingly reckless with an active court case is shameful. This unserious approach to politics is characteristic of Ruth Davidson’s parliamentary – and media – career. It is one of the reasons why the glowing accolades she gained for her strength of character and political savvy always felt so undeserved to those of us who could see through the charade.

She was, and remains, a politician who takes the easy route. She favoured soundbites and shallow media performances to the hard graft of leadership. During her tenure in charge of the Scottish Conservatives, no attempt was made to set out a vision for the country beyond a ban on second referendums and wishy-washy pledges on justice reform.

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During the moments that really mattered, she fell well short of expectations; of the bold, straight-forward talking politician we were so often told she was.

Her inability to condemn the two-child family cap for tax credits and associated rape clause was a notable lowlight. And let’s not forget how she ran scared of Brexit and failed to confront the right-wing fanatics in her own party – all while claiming she was so different to them.

Of course, Ruth Davidson is not alone in playing politics with allegations of violence or sexual crimes against women.

There have been reports of both Scottish Labour and Scottish Tory insiders saying their preference would have been for a spring election. One Labour source told The Herald: “The best outcome for us would be to go next year during the Alex Salmond trial.’’

This squalid approach to politics is very much a cross-party problem.

Too often, politicians show themselves unable to resist the lure of the opportunity to score a cheap point. They overlook the real harm that causes, not only to our public discourse, but to the people involved in the cases in question.

In doing so, they do a disservice to their parties and the public. They demonstrate that they care little for the issue at hand and moreover that they would rather win votes down in the gutter than on their vision for the country.

Ruth Davidson is just the latest in a long line of people who are willing to use allegations of violence or sexual crimes against women as an electioneering strategy.

Every party has misogynists and men in their ranks who have behaved or are alleged to have behaved abusively towards women.

Rather than tackling that issue and taking it seriously, we see some politicians use it to their own advantage. What a crass, and ultimately futile, way to try and win over the electorate. For as long as we are stuck on this merry-go-round of mudslinging, women are being let down.

Every elected representative who engages in this type of behaviour should be condemned by their opponents and allies alike. Otherwise nothing will ever change.

Using the alleged abuse of women to score political points is an irresponsible way to approach what is a societal-wide problem. And if our politicians can’t bring themselves to treat the issue with the sensitivity it deserves when it’s close to home – how can we trust them to do so for our country?