Ruth Davidson: And the Resurgence of the Scottish Tories

In just five years, Ruth Davidson has risen to become one of the most senior Tory politicians in the country. First elected in 2011, she won a surprise leadership victory and is now at the head of the official opposition at the Scottish Parliament. A lesbian, kick-boxing former Territorial Army reservist, Ruth Davidson has broken the mould of both Tory and Scottish politics. Despite the consensus that the Conservative Party was dead in Scotland, she has now made the Tories bigger than Labour, and has even been touted as a future Prime Minister. Yet little is known of Ms Davidson and her achievements outside of Scotland. The time is right for her remarkable story to be told. With the tantalising possibility of another Scottish independence referendum thrown up by Brexit, Davidson’s profile is only going to become more prominent as she provides the chief opposition. This book examines how Ruth Davidson revitalised the toxic Tory brand in Scotland and asks what the future holds in both Scotland and beyond for this very impressive young politician.