Ruth Davidson announces switch from Glasgow to Edinburgh

Ruth Davidson will quit as regional MSP for Glasgow at the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections and stand on the Scottish Conservatives’ Lothians list instead.

In a letter sent to party members today, Davidson will tell Scottish Tories it has been an “enormous privilege” to serve as an MSP from Glasgow, but that she believes switching to the Lothian list is the best way to maximise the party’s support.

Davidson said her duties as party leader have led to her spending an increasing amount of time in Edinburgh and that the move will make it easier to direct her party’s campaign.

RELATED CONTENT

Conservatives won election because of austerity, finds Labour

Retail sector grows by 0.8 per cent in second quarter

The party said Davidson would still need to go through the same process as other prospective candidates in order to be selected for the Lothians list.

She said: “It has been an enormous privilege to serve as an MSP in Glasgow over the last four years.

“My role as an MSP in Glasgow has allowed me to help hundreds of constituents, visit scores of businesses, charities and schools and play a large part in the civic life of the city.

“For the elections next year, I will be putting my name forward to stand as a candidate in the Lothians region.

“As a party, we want to pull out all the stops ahead of next May's Scottish Parliament elections.

“I believe standing for election in Edinburgh will help us maximise our support so that, come May next year, we return the largest number of Scottish Conservatives to Holyrood ever.”