A Scottish journalist and broadcaster has declared that being gay has been no impediment in her bid to become a Tory MSP in Scotland.
Ruth Davidson was subject of a major feature in The Herald yesterday on the day that a support group for gay politicians and Westminster staff was launched in Parliament. The ParliOut initiative was established with the help of the gay rights charity, Stonewall. Conservative MP, Nigel Evans, a deputy speaker in the House of Commons, who declared his homosexuality at the weekend, is its vice-president.
Davidson worked as a presenter, a news journalist and a documentary maker for nine years, mostly with BBC Radio Scotland and Real Radio, in Glasgow, and now works for the Scottish Conservative Party.
In a powerful, exclusive interview with The Herald features writer, Cate Devine, Davidson spoke – says The Herald – “of her love for partner Saskia Halcrow and the support she has from Tory Scottish party leader, Annabel Goldie, for whom she works as a personal assistant”.
Davidson, who joined the Conservative Party two years ago, is second on the Glasgow regional list for a seat at Holyrood in May, after the Scottish Parliament elections. She also stood in the Glasgow North-East by-election last year for a seat at Westminster.
“I’ve never encountered any impediment within the party for being gay,” she is quoted, saying. “There’s a misconception that the Scottish Tories are anti-gay. It’s a stick we get beaten with and it’s unfair.
“A lot of the people surrounding John Major, Iain Duncan Smith and William Hague are gay, so it exists at the very highest levels. In fact, the Tories have more gay MPs than Labour or the LibDems put together.”
