Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has called for a Yes vote in Ireland ahead of the marriage equality referendum this week.

During their first joint radio interview, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson and her girlfriend Jen Wilson – who left Ireland in 2003 – both called for Ireland to vote yes on equal marriage this week.

The couple went public in February during a Scottish Conservative broadcast.

Wilson – a Wexford native – said in the interview that she “never really felt I could be completely myself” when living at home in Ireland.

Davidson, 36, said, “The question is, do people who love each other, who are already permitted and encouraged to have civil partnerships, should they be denied marriage?”

“I love this woman that is sitting to my left here. I would very much like it if it was a possibility for us for her to go home to get married because there are young people who are leaving Ireland right now because they don’t feel like they can be their whole selves.”

Wilson, 33,  said: “I gave myself a really hard time about being gay. It’s nothing something that was terribly openly discussed I think in general in Ireland at the time or seen as being acceptable.”

“I needed to leave the country to go somewhere where I could not be looking over my shoulder worrying that somebody from my hometown would spot me in a gay bar or with a partner.”

She said her family and friends had been supportive about her sexuality but added: “I just never really felt I could be completely myself unfortunately in Ireland.”

“There’s a woman who’s sitting here who would be desperate to go home and be that Yes vote in Ireland,” Davidson said, “Who knows, maybe an Irish wedding in our future?”