Ruth Davidson

**Ruth Davidson, Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links,** PC  (born 10 November 1978) is a Scottish politician. She was Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from November 2011 to August 2019, and also the Leader of the Opposition in the Scottish Parliament from May 2016 to August 2019. She was then given a life peerage on 20 July 2021, and given membership to the House of Lords.

## Early Life

Davidson was born in Edinburgh, at the Edinburgh Royal Maternity Hospital and Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion.

Davidson lived in Selkirk, in the Scottish Borders. She went to Knowepark Primary School, and Buckhaven High School,

Davidson studied English literature at University of Edinburgh, gaining a Master of Arts degree. After graduation, she worked as a journalist. She first worked for the Glenrothes Gazette as a trainee reporter. She then worked in radio, working for Kingdom FM, and then for Real Radio. In late 2002 she joined BBC Scotland, where she worked as a radio journalist, producer, presenter and reporter. She also worked as a Sunday School teacher. For three years between 2003 and 2006, Davidson was enrolled in the  as a .

## Political Career

Davidson was elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament in May 2011. She became elected as Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party on the 4 November 2011. Davidson left her position of as Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party on the 29 August 2019.

## Personal life

Davidson is openly lesbian, and lives with her partner in Partick, an area in the city of Glasgow.

## Other websites

- Ruth Davidson's page on the Scottish Parliament website
- Biography on the Scottish Conservatives website

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **embed**: yes
- **office2**: House of Lords, Member of the House of Lords
- **status2**: Lord Temporal
- **termlabel2**: Assumed life peerage
- **term start2**: 20 July 2021
- **parliament3**: Scottish
- **constituency mp3**: Edinburgh Central
- **term start3**: 5 May 2016
- **term end3**: 5 May 2021
- **predecessor3**: Marco Biagi
- **successor3**: Angus Robertson
- **office4**: Member of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow
- **term start4**: 5 May 2011
- **term end4**: 5 May 2016


## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific-prefix**: The Right Honourable
- **name**: The Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links
- **image**: RuthDavidsonMSP.jpg
- **caption**: Official portrait, 2016
- **office**: Scottish Conservative Party, Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party in the Scottish Parliament
- **1blankname**: Leader
- **1namedata**: Douglas Ross
- **term start**: 11 August 2020
- **term end**: 5 May 2021
- **predecessor**: Jackson Carlaw
- **successor**: Douglas Ross
- **office1**: Scottish Conservative Party, Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party
- **1blankname1**: Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), UK party leader
- **term start1**: 4 November 2011
- **term end1**: 29 August 2019
- **predecessor1**: Annabel Goldie
- **successor1**: Jackson Carlaw
- **birth name**: Ruth Elizabeth Davidson
- **birth place**: Edinburgh, Scotland
- **party**: Scottish Conservative Party, Scottish Conservatives
- **partner**: Jen Wilson
- **children**: 1
- **allegiance**: United Kingdom
- **branch**: Territorial Army
- **serviceyears**: 2003–2006
- **rank**: Signaller
- **unit**: 32 Signal Regiment