Every now and then Damian Barr bumps into Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservative Party. This isn’t as surprising as all that — Barr, journalist, memoirist and the organiser of a well-loved London literary salon, is known for the people he knows. “She’s like, ‘Come on, Damian,’” relays Barr, an affable, chatty, 6ft 4in Scotsman, still perkily head-boyish at 42. “‘Tell me you’re a Tory!’ And I’m like, Ruth, no, I’m not a Tory, and I’m not gonna become one!”It’s no shock that a nearly-middle-aged gay writer, based in Brighton, might insist he’s not a Conservative. Barr is, after all, best known for his bestselling 2013 memoir, Maggie & Me, which…

Source: The Times June 01, 2019 23:05 UTC