Out lesbian Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP) Ruth Davidson has just been elected as the new leader of the Scottish Conservatives, making her the first gay or lesbian party leader in the United Kingdom. The 32-year-old former BBC journalist won against the party’s deputy leader, Murdo Fraser, who planned to abolish the party and form a new centre-right party, according to the BBC.
Davidson was elected to the parliament earlier this year, and now takes the place of Annabel Goldie to lead the Scottish Conservative party, the third largest in the parliament.
In her victory address, Davidson talked about moving the party forward and the need to keep it united noting, "a political party is not a leader, a political party is its membership and I want to bring our members at all levels much closer together in our party going forward and to take our party forward in unity."
She said that the Conservatives are “still alive and kicking." She pledged to bring new, modern and relevant policies to the Scots.
Davidson campaigned by presenting herself as the only Conservative candidate with the ability to appeal to the country’s voters. Scottish voters have not fully trusted in the party since Margaret Thatcher served as the Conservative Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990.
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