Ruth Davidson has exposed a split at the top of her party by calling for a re-think on the Tories’ controversial immigration cap.
Theresa May stuck by the commitment to slash net migration to the “tens of thousands” in her 2017 manifesto.
But the Scottish Conservative leader says Mrs May should consider scrapping it.
It is the latest in a series of interventions from the Edinburgh MSP, whose standing in the party has risen on the back of the general election as the Prime Minister’s has plunged.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Ms Davidson said there should be a rational discussion on immigration rather than “easy slogans”.
“By 2010, pollsters reported that immigration was consistently a top concern to voters,” she said.
“Since then, of course, the British government has failed to hit its self-imposed ‘tens of thousands’ target in any year.
“Brexit is a big reset button and should – in theory – make that much easier to do so. But we have to ask whether the target continues to be the right one.”
Number 10 declined to comment, but UK Government sources have been quoted shooting down Ms Davidson’s suggestions.
Labour’s shadow Scotland Office minister Paul Sweeney said: “The Tories are in open warfare and these comments from Ruth Davidson show just deep the splits in the party run.
“When the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, who defends abhorrent policies such as the rape clause, tells Theresa May that she needs to think again then you know just how wrong the Prime Minister is.”