Ruth Davidson has ordered her party to prepare for government by changing direction and shelving its high-profile anti-independence campaign. The Scottish Conservative Party leader believes that the “No to another referendum” mantra, which she has pushed for the past year, is now redundant.

Instead, Ms Davidson wants her MSPs and MPs to come up with a policy platform that will see the party through to the next Holyrood elections. A close source said: “When Nicola Sturgeon decided to shelve her plans for another referendum, that was when the battle was won.” He added: “We are not changing our stance on another referendum, it will always be there in the background, but we need a new message.”

It is understood that the Scottish Tory leader has