Ruth Davidson has been forced to deny she is at loggerheads with Theresa May over immigration.
The leader of the Scottish Conservatives confirmed she still backed free movement of people if it meant the UK had full access to the single market following the vote to leave the European Union.
But the prime minister put the issue at the heart of her opening speech, telling the Conservative conference in Birmingham: “We will decide for ourselves how we control immigration.”
Pressed on her views, Ms Davidson said: “Of course I wanted full access to the single market. Of course I was happy with free movement of people.
“That’s why I was on the side of the debate that I was on. That’s why I was advocating that we stayed in the EU and kept all of these things.”
She added: “There are going to be changes, I accept there are going to be changes. They are not the changes I campaigned for but what I do want is maximum access that we can possibly negotiate to the single market because I believe the single market is a good thing.”
She also made it clear she had no intention of following Mrs May’s push for new grammar schools in England.
She said: “It’s not something that I have ever suggested, it’s never been in any manifesto in Britain and it won’t be in any manifesto that I write for Scotland as long as I am leader of the Scottish Conservative party.”
Meanwhile, the Tories have claimed that SNP tax plans will impose a £1billion “Scotland surcharge” on families and businesses across the country.
Research by the party examined income tax, business rates, stamp duty reforms and air passenger duty.
Scottish Secretary David Mundell said: “The Scotland Act 2016 devolves unprecedented powers over tax and welfare to the Scottish Parliament.
“How the SNP use those powers is now up to them – and they will have to account to the Scottish people for their plan to tax Scotland £1billion more than England over the next four years.”