Ruth pledges to rebuild Conservatives as the party of hope and aspiration for all Scots

New leader Ruth Davidson today pledged to make the Scottish Conservatives the party that gives back hope and aspiration to Scots of all ages and backgrounds.

Hailing her victory as the first step in an exciting new era for the party in Scotland, she said her aim was to reach out to the hundreds of thousands who shared Conservative values but felt they had no voice.

'I want to rebuild and revitalise the party - not just for ourselves - but so that people all over Scotland will come to us, confident that we will speak for them and stand up for them,' she said.

'I will lead inclusively but decisively. I will listen and consult but once I have made a decision, I will carry it through with purpose and vigour. When it comes to leading the party forward and making the tough choices that must be made, I will not flinch.

'And we have much work to do. Some might think it looks like an insurmountable challenge with all the odds stacked against us. Well, it won't be easy but we Conservatives don't believe in something for nothing. We believe in working hard to achieve your ambitions.

'I am ready to put in the work to reconnect with voters and build a party that speaks to their ideals and concerns. Under my leadership, we will begin a new conversation and forge a new partnership with all of the voters of Scotland, whatever their background or way of life.

'I will join the efforts of the Scottish Conservative Party to the aspirations of the Scottish people – a new common purpose, a shared endeavour to build a prosperous, confident Scotland where enterprise is encouraged, hard work rewarded, and where we stand tall and proud within our United Kingdom. I will work hand in hand with our Prime Minister David Cameron and the UK government to put Scotland's case at the heart of our British government.

Ruth continued: 'The Scottish Conservatives will become the political wing of the Scottish people. We will be the natural party of Aspirational Scotland. We will be guided by their values, which are our values too, and in everything we do we will echo their aspirations and make Scotland succeed on their behalf. Our vision is of a prosperous and progressive country that champions freedom and fairness in equal measure.'

Only hours after winning the four-horse race to succeed Annabel Goldie, Ruth paid tribute to her fellow candidates, Murdo Fraser, Jackson Carlaw and Margaret Mitchell.

She said: 'They are not my opponents. They are my colleagues. This leadership campaign was enriched by their passion, energy, and ideas. Our party, and broader political debate in Scotland, is better for the campaigns they ran. And each of them made valuable contributions to how we take our party and our country forward and I look forward to the considerable contributions I know they will continue to make under my leadership.'

Ruth also paid tribute to Annabel Goldie who, she said, had led the party with 'honour, integrity, and good humour.'

Ruth added: 'Annabel elevated our public discourse, forced important issues onto the agenda, and saw Scottish Conservative policies on justice, enterprise, communities, and drug rehabilitation passed into law.

'Perhaps her greatest achievement, though, was managing to put Alex Salmond's gas at a peep every now and then with a sharply-worded putdown at First Minister's Questions. We owe Annabel a debt of gratitude and I thank her on behalf of the party.'

Ruth made a passionate plea for the whole party – from the grassroots to MSPs and grandees – to come together in a concerted and determined to effort to propel the Scottish Conservatives back to their winning ways in Scotland – and for Scotland.

She has become the first leader of the entire party, not just the Scottish Conservative group of MSPs at Holyrood. Ruth said she now fully intended to fulfil her campaign pledge to engage all level of members in both the rebuilding and development of the party.

In the coming weeks, she will initiate a policy renewal process to review current policies and identify areas where the party must develop and lead in a new direction.

She said: 'This will not be a quick and easy exercise. It will be a continuous process that asks tough questions and challenges the status quo within our party and across Scottish politics.

'There will be no sacred cows. Nothing will be off the table.

'On the economy, our over-riding priority, we will seek to ensure Scotland not only benefits from a UK recovery but participates in and indeed leads that recovery. We will look at ways we can make Scotland an enterprise zone and hang a sign on the door that says, "Scotland - Open for Business".

'On health, we will be committed in word and deed to the principle of the NHS free at the point of delivery. We will develop new approaches on health outcomes which prioritise prevention and give patients more choice and GPs more autonomy.

'On education, I will lead a party that sees the reform of our schools system not merely as a policy prescription but as a moral mission to ensure every child in Scotland has the chance at a world-leading education. We will give parents more freedom to choose their child's school and teachers more freedom to set standards, curriculum, and discipline policies.

'On justice, I want us to recalibrate the scales so that the justice system is on the side of the victim. The Scottish Conservatives will craft policies that allow for serious sentences for serious crimes but also address fear of crime by targeting those persistent low-level offenders who make life miserable for decent people in our communities.

'Policy renewal will allow the Scottish Conservatives to lead not only on justice, but on social justice. The other parties may shy away from taboo issues like family breakdown and the poverty trap it creates. We will not. Nor will we stay silent on the challenges facing carers, particularly young carers, and the lack of provision for them and the loved ones they care for.

'This is a scandal and it should be at the centre of public debate. We're going to put it there. And on drug addiction, inequality, discrimination, mental health services, and community cohesion, we will also lead the discussion and press for change.

'And all our policies will be guided by the principle that lies at the heart of Scottish conservatism: Individuals run their own lives and government is there to help them when it's needed.'

She said she wanted the Conservatives to be the party that 'talked up Scotland within the Union' and pledged to fight 'tooth and nail' to halt Alex Salmond's march to separation.

'Under my leadership, we will be the party that always makes the positive case for the Union, the party that always says "yes" to the UK while the Nationalists will always be the party saying "no".

Ruth said: 'Now is the time to start reaching out to Scots from all backgrounds who share our values. And one of the values that we share so strongly with the majority of our fellow Scots is an unwavering commitment to our United Kingdom. I will make sure the people of Scotland know where I and my party stand on our United Kingdom.

'It is one of our bedrock beliefs and we will stand up and say: "We are Scottish, we are Conservatives, and we are Unionists – and we are proud of all three."'

She said the SNP had won an impressive victory at the last Scottish Parliament election and as a majority was entitled to pursue their policy objectives.

'But majority does confer monopoly and Alex Salmond's is not the only mandate. There is another mandate. Last year more people voted in Scotland for the parties of our UK Coalition Government than voted for Alex Salmond for First Minister this year. Scotland has two governments and two parliaments – the best of both worlds.

'The overwhelming majority of Scots believe in the United Kingdom and want to remain part of this 300-year-long equal partnership of prosperity, security, and pride. This is your United Kingdom. You believe in it. You are proud of it. We won't let them take it away from you.

'I don't envy the SNP. They are tasked with making the negative case against the United Kingdom – talking down our history, our country, and our achievements. That's a fitting script for a party locked in the throes of backwardness and reaction.

'But narrow parties that look inward are always doomed to fail eventually. Scotland can succeed only by looking forward. We are the party of the progressive future and we will speak up for that future and make the positive case for Scotland in Britain. We are Scotland's Conservative and Unionist Party. We will take on the separatists and win for Scotland.'

Ruth said the Scotland Bill had rightly looked at how devolution could be improved and strengthened. It will give the Scottish Parliament new powers which the polls suggest people want.

She added: 'Now is the time to start debating how we use these powers and the powers the Parliament already has to improve the lives of the people of Scotland.

'When the First Minister finally decides to hold the referendum he's been promising voters for so long, I will lead the Scottish Conservatives to campaign for a confident Scotland in a strong United Kingdom. It is a referendum we will win because Scotland in Britain is the settled will of the Scottish people. So, come on Alex, what's the question and when's the date?

'The future of Scottish politics is not insular navel-gazing about powers and structures and constitutions. Once the referendum has been held, and the people have said Yes to Scotland in Britain, Scottish devolution will enter its first stage of maturity, where politicians stop talking to themselves and start building a new Scotland that offers opportunity and success to all our citizens.'

Speaking in Edinburgh ahead of travelling to Dumfries to meet candidates standing in next year's council elections, Ruth said 'getting a grip' on the local government poll was key to the Scottish Conservative revival.

She said: 'I am delighted that my fellow Scottish Conservatives have put their faith in me. But celebrations will come later. Today, the hard work begins. The contest for the leadership of the Scottish Conservatives is over but the work of taking our party forward is only just beginning.

'Rebuilding, renewing, growing our party and its membership, challenging ourselves to become a 21st century party for 21st century Scotland and challenging the people of Scotland to look at us in a new way – that is our task The work begins now to make this the decade where we win again.'

Ruth said: 'In the course of the leadership campaign, I travelled all over Scotland and went to every constituency. I spoke with fellow Conservatives about my vision for this party and for our country. Now I want to speak to those people who do not vote Conservative, those who used to, and those who are undecided.

'In the coming weeks, I will announce a new tour of every constituency in Scotland. I will visit village halls and community centres, businesses and doorsteps and meet with voters from all political persuasions, backgrounds, and outlooks. I will say to them, "Look at us again. We are changing. Come and join us. Be part of the change".

'This is the decade when we will be proud of who we are.'

Ruth's campaign manager, John Lamont MSP, said: 'I am delighted that Ruth has triumphed. We fought a good campaign and I am pleased the membership has seized this opportunity to put the party back on the winning tracks.'

David Mundell MP said: 'Ruth embodies the radical, generational change that the party needs to rebuild and reclaim its place at the heart of Scottish politics and Scottish life. I look forward to working closely with her and I am certain she will be a first-class leader for the whole party.'

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