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Ruth Elizabeth Davidson (born 10 November 1978) is a Scottish politician who is currently the leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, the leader of the second largest party in the Scottish Parliament, and the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Central. After graduating from Edinburgh University, she worked as a BBC journalist and signaller in the Territorial Army. After leaving the BBC in 2009 to study at Glasgow University, Davidson joined the Conservative Party, and was the party's candidate in the Glasgow North East constituency at a 2009 by-election and at the 2010 general election, finishing in 3rd and 4th place respectively, with approximately 5% of the vote. In the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, Davidson stood for election in the Glasgow Kelvin constituency and on the Glasgow regional list. She finished in 4th place in the former, but was successful in the latter, and following party leader Annabel Goldie's resignation in May 2011, Davidson stood in the subsequent leadership election. She won the contest and was declared party leader on 4 November 2011.