Ruth Davidson told a newspaper that the new job would not involve her lobbying ministers

Ruth Davidson’s claim that her £50,000 a year public relations job will not involve corporate lobbying “doesn’t wash”, a former Tory adviser has said.

The former Scottish Conservative leader has been appointed as a senior adviser by Tulchan Communications, which has offices in London and Singapore. She quit as leader in August but remains MSP for Edinburgh Central.

Ms Davidson told the London Evening Standard, which is edited by the former Tory chancellor George Osborne, that her job would not involve lobbying or talking to ministers on behalf of Tulchan clients.

Iain Anderson, executive chairman of the communications company Cicero, said: “The argument she is not going to be a lobbyist doesn’t wash. What happens when one of the clients of the agency wants