The Conservatives have today elected a new leader for their Party in Scotland. The successful candidate is Ruth Davidson, who is 32 and openly-gay. She was elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament just last year and is thought to be the first ever openly-gay leader of any mainstream UK political Party.
Reacting to the results, Ruth said:
“This is the first time that our members have been asked to elect a leader for the whole party in Scotland and I've met our members from Selkirk to Shetland and all points in between. They've been engaged, they've been enthusiastic, they've been welcoming and they're excited about our bright future too."
On behalf of LGBTory, the Conservative Party’s LGBT group, Deputy Chairman Cllr Emma Warman commented:
"I am delighted to hear that Ruth Davidson has been elected as leader of the Scottish Conservatives. In politics, gay women, like women generally, are hugely under-represented compared to our male counterparts. There are very few gay women in frontline politics - only two (1 Labour, 1 Conservative) in the UK Parliament, for example.
It's easy for those who aren't part of a minority group to dismiss the significance of role models. But those of us who are gay know that seeing role models who are like us can be both reassuring and motivating.
First and foremost, though, Ruth is a Scottish Conservative politician and I wish her every success both in the Scottish Parliament and in re-energising the grass roots of the Scottish Conservative Party."
LGBTory’s Scotland organiser, Allan Finnie, also welcomed the news, stating that he is “looking forward to working with Ruth” as she “breathes new life into the Party in Scotland”.
Ms Davidson has pledged to overhaul the Party machinery and bring new, modern and relevant policies to the people of Scotland.