Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson to switch to Lothians
- Published
Ms Davidson has been an MSP on the Glasgow list since 2011
The leader of the Scottish Tories has announced she will seek to become an MSP for the Lothians region at next year's Holyrood elections.
Ruth Davidson currently represents Glasgow as a list MSP.
Ms Davidson was born in Edinburgh and went to university in the city. She has recently moved home to the capital.
In a letter to party members in Glasgow, she said her duties as party leader required her to spend an increasing amount of time in Edinburgh.
She said that standing in the Lothians would maximise the time she would be able to devote to her duties in the capital.
The Scottish Conservative said Ms Davidson would now go through the same process as other prospective MSP candidates seeking to contest a seat in the capital and find a place on the Lothians list.
Ms Davidson, who only became an MSP in 2011, said: "It has been an enormous privilege to serve as an MSP in Glasgow over the last four years.
"My role as an MSP in Glasgow has allowed me to help hundreds of constituents, visit scores of businesses, charities and schools and play a large part in the civic life of the city.
"For the elections next year, I will be putting my name forward to stand as a candidate in the Lothians region."
Analysis by Andrew Black, BBC Scotland reporter
Ruth Davidson has been an MSP on the Glasgow regional list for four years, but instead of seeking re-election in the city, she's decided to try her hand on the political scene over in Edinburgh.
Ms Davidson says she has a lifelong connection to the city - having been born in the capital and studied there - but it's not quite as simple as that.
Voters have historically returned a Tory MSP on the Glasgow list through PR voting, so the Conservatives are hoping they'll have that in the bag for the 2016 Holyrood election, with a new candidate.
Meanwhile, Ms Davidson wants to stand for election on the Lothian regional list - and in an Edinburgh first-past-the-post constituency - in the hope her profile as Scottish Conservative leader will win her party an additional seat.
But the big challenge the Conservatives face - along with the other opposition parties - is losing more ground to the SNP, especially given its victory in the Westminster election.
Ruth Davidson says she'll now go through the same selection process as everyone else who wants to stand as a Conservative candidate in Edinburgh - although in her case, that's likely to be more of a formality.