Davidson begins campaign to lead Scottish Tories

Scottish Political Editor

Friday 9 September 2011

RUTH Davidson yesterday launched her campaign for the leadership of the Scottish Conservatives by pitching herself as the youthful future of the party and asking for a decade to restore its fortunes.

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Tom Gordon

Promising a break with the past, she said that for her generation of voters, Mrs Thatcher, still an icon to many Tory members, was as irrelevant as 19th century prime ministers such as Gladstone and Disraeli.

The third entrant in the race, the 32-year-old Glasgow MSP said she had “the energy, drive and passion” to take the party into government at Holyrood and thwart Alex Salmond’s plans for independence. However, she warned that full electoral recovery would take two parliamentary terms, to around 2020. “There is no silver bullet, no quick fix, or easy option. What I offer is hard work, justly rewarded.”At a slick launch dominated by young activists, Ms Davidson, an MSP since May, attacked her chief rival Murdo Fraser for promising to axe the “toxic” Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party and found a new centre-right party if elected.She said a year of debating party structure would only delight the First Minister and alienate voters.“Real change will come when the party unites behind a dynamic, modern leader. I will be that leader. Under my leadership, there will be no existential crisis, no wringing of hands.” During questions, she took a further swipe at Mr Fraser’s desire for more tax powers to be passed from London to Edinburgh.The Scotland Bill going through Westminster, which will devolve greater sway over income tax and borrowing, was “the line in the sand”, she said.“The time for arguing about the powers that people want is over. It’s time now to use the powers that we have.”She underscored her Unionist credentials with an anecdote about seeing British troops rebuild an orphanage in Kosovo 10 years ago“They did that with a Union flag on their arm because they believed in something. And I believe in it too. I believe that the United Kingdom is a force for good in the world. I believe that we in Scotland walk taller, shout louder and stand stronger for being part of that union.”While emphasising her relative youth, she denied she was too young to be a party leader, and said no-one had ever questioned her abilities.Asked about Mrs Thatcher, she said: “I was only six months old when she became prime minister. I was still in primary school when she left office. So there is not just one, but two generations of voters after me who have no memory of Margaret Thatcher. It is like talking about a Gladstone or a Disraeli.“Scotland has moved on. The Scottish Conservatives have moved on.”She declared herself in favour of the “free school” model being promoted by the Tories south of the Border.“I would love a more tailored ability, to have schools of different natures. I don’t believe in a standard model for all schooling, I don’t believe that the local authority should be the de facto provider of education.”Ms Davidson, who lives with a female partner, said she personally supported gay marriage, but would not want churches compelled to conduct services if they objected.

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Davidson begins campaign to lead Scottish Tories

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