Former BBC Scotland journalist could become next leader of the Tory party in Scotland

The Glasgow-based newspaper claims that the 32-year-old is understood to have the backing of current Scottish leader Annabel Goldie and allies of Prime Minister David Cameron. It appears they see her as a moderate alternative to the other main contender - the right-wing deputy leader Murdo Fraser, says the Sunday Herald. Leadership nominations are due to open in September with the new leader in place by early November. In the run-up to the Scottish parliament election, Davidson worked as an aide to Goldie, but she was not expected to become an MSP. However, the resignation of the leading Tory candidate in Glasgow, over past financial problems, pushed her to the top of the regional list, and she was elected with 6% of the vote. Davidson is quoted today by The Sunday Herald as pointing out: “I have made no decision to stand. In fact, I don’t believe any of my parliamentary colleagues have declared whether they’re going to stand or not.” The Sunday Herald piece continues: “After Goldie announced she would step down in the autumn, Davidson downplayed suggestions she might stand as her successor. Instead, she backed Tory justice spokesman John Lamont for the leadership. But Lamont self-destructed last month with a controversial speech on Catholic schools. “Although on the right of his party, Fraser, 45, is regarded with suspicion by Unionists because of his support for far greater tax and spending powers for the Scottish Parliament. “The only other likely contender is fellow right-winger Jackson Carlaw, 52, but his recent failure to win the Eastwood seat despite boundary changes giving him a 3500-vote lead has damaged his chances. “Davidson is understood to be close to David Cameron, and accompanied the Prime Minister when he visited Glasgow during the Scottish elections. “The only openly gay Tory MSP, she lives in Edinburgh with her partner of three years - an analyst for RBS.” In a recent profile in The Herald, Davidson declared that being gay had been no impediment in her bid to become a Tory MSP in Scotland. She worked as a presenter, a news journalist and a documentary maker for nine years - mostly with BBC Radio Scotland and Real Radio, in Glasgow. In the exclusive interview in The Herald with features writer, Cate Devine, Davidson spoke "of her love for her partner Saskia Halcrow and the support she has from Tory Scottish party leader, Annabel Goldie”. The young MSP, who joined the Conservative Party two years ago, unsuccessfully stood in the Glasgow North-East by-election last year for a seat at Westminster On the gay issue, she told Devine: “I’ve never encountered any impediment within the party for being gay.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.” MSP Willie Rennie was recently elected as leader of the Scottish Lib Dems following the post-election resignation of Tavish Scott, and Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray also announced he was standing down and the party is seeking a new leader north of the border. Journalist and broadcaster David Whitton had been strongly tipped as a successor to the struggling Gray before the election but he lost his seat as an MSP as the SNP swept to a sensational victory at the polls.