Unorthodox but popular

RUTH Davidson, may lack the age, experience and the traditional family lifestyle of her potential rivals but she is said to be the favourite of the UK Tory leadership.

The highly rated Glasgow list MSP, first elected as an MSP at the May elections, is just 32 and leads an openly lesbian lifestyle.

Seen as the modernising candidate if she decides to stand, she describes herself as a leftish or liberal Tory in today’s political language. She has previously talked about wanting to tackle the social deprivation and poverty that blight so much of the Glasgow area she represents.

Party sources say Ms Davidson is likely to position herself as “open-minded” on the constitutional question but has yet to declare.