RUTH Davidson has been labelled a “born-again” Brexiteer as she spoke warmly of Boris Johnson months after challenging him to tell the “truth” about how many jobs would be lost if the UK leaves the EU.

The Scottish Tory leader grabbed the headlines when she turned her fire on the former London mayor in the final TV showdown of the bitter In/Out referendum campaign weeks after attacking him on social media.

In a blistering attack on the Leave campaign’s “lies” over the impact of Brexit, she told the 6,000 strong Wembley audience and voters: “You deserve the truth.”

And she also launched a scathing attack on Johnson when he appeared on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show in March.

“Is it just me or is Boris floundering here? Not sure the bumble-bluster, kitten smirk, tangent-bombast routine is cutting through,” she furiously tweeted in responding to his 25-minute grilling.

But yesterday she praised Johnson and talked up his qualifications for Foreign Secretary.

“I sat down with Boris, we had a very good meeting and he is taking the role incredibly seriously,” she told the BBC’s Sunday Politics Scotland,

“He’s a man who speaks five languages, he’s worked on the continent of Europe, he worked in Brussels for many years and was born in America, which is our greatest trading partner. In terms of qualifications for the job he’s got them in spades and he’s applying himself to the job.”

Christina McKelvie MSP hit out: “Ruth Davidson is proving to be a political contortionist as she tries to keep in with the right-wing Brexiteers now leading her party at Westminster... If she wants to be taken seriously she should stick to what she said before the referendum about the huge benefits we enjoy from inside the EU – and work to protect those – instead of assuming the role of born-again Brexiteer, just to endear herself to party colleagues.”

Her change of heart was also seized upon by Scottish Labour.

Economy spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: “Campaigning during the EU referendum Ruth Davidson viciously attacked leading Brexiteers like Boris Johnson and Andrea Leadsom – now she is preparing to share a platform with them.

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“The Scottish Tories have taken a vow of silence over the impact that Brexit will have on our economy.

“They used to claim they had a long-term economic plan, now they can’t even tell us what leaving the EU means.”

Speaking at a fringe event at the Tory conference in Birmingham Davidson yesterday turned her attention to the SNP, attacking the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and hitting out at possible plans for a second independence referendum.

“I say to the First Minster, please, we have had enough of this megaphone diplomacy,” she said.

“Instead of picking fights with the UK Government, why not just pick up the phone a bit more often and she might find that you agree about some things?”

She added later: “In short, we don’t need a referendum in 2016 or 2017 or 2018. What we need is a long-term plan that really tackles the causes of our social ills that last for good – for 2020, 2030, 2040 – and we’d urge the SNP to start focusing on it now.”

During her speech she also renewed calls for the Scottish Government to scrap its named-person scheme, which has been delayed after ministers suspended its role out after the UK Supreme Court ruled some elements are “incompatible’’ with the right to privacy and family life, as set out in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The policy, introduced as part of the Children and Young People Scotland Act of 2014, would appoint a single point of contact, such as a teacher or health visitor, to look out for the welfare of all children up to the age of 18.

Opponents who launched a legal challenge argued the scheme is overly intrusive into family life and could lead to an increased workload for those tasked with administering it.

Davidson said: “Let me be clear, we have never had a problem with a single point of contact advising and supporting a child or a parent when or if they want it... a single point of contact, fine.

“Let’s make it easier for parents and children to get access to the services they need.

“But a state-appointed guardian with powers to go behind parents’ backs? No.

“A listening government would understand the problem and ditch this absurd and unlawful plan once and for all.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The policy aim of providing a named-person service has been judged by the Supreme Court to be entirely legitimate.”