RUTH FROM THE HEART
I’ve been plagued by suicidal thoughts, says Scots Tory leader I’ve self-harmed and suffered from severe bouts of depression I don’t EVER want to be PM... for the sake of my mental health
RUTH Davidson yesterday admitted she never wants to become Prime Minister after bravely revealing her battle with mental health problems.
In an extraordinary interview, the Scottish Conservative leader revealed she had struggled with depression, suicidal thoughts and had self-harmed as a teenager.
Last night, the admissions by the 39-year-old won praise from mental health charities and politicians across the party divide.
Miss Davidson had been widely touted as a future Tory leadership candidate and had been expected to seek a Westminster seat. But yesterday she spoke for the first time about her past battles with depression, saying it was like a ‘smothering black blanket over my head’.
Ruling out an any attempt to succeed Theresa May, Miss Davidson, who is heavily pregnant, said: ‘You have to want it, and I don’t want to be Prime Minister.’
Asked if she would ‘ever’ run, she told The Sunday Times: ‘No. I value my relationship and my mental health too much for it. I will not be a candidate.’
Posting the extract about her struggles on Twitter yesterday, she said: ‘I think it helps to talk about mental health. I know it would have helped me. Also, realising that a diagnosis isn’t a full stop, nor is it binary. It can be managed over time.
‘It can only help that folk from all walks of life speak about mental health – so much support out there, know that if you’re suffering you are not alone, you can talk to someone.’
Miss Davidson’s candid admissions received cross-party support on social media. Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd posted: ‘Wow. Read this today: at times joyful, always honest, searingly emotional.
‘You don’t have to be PM to influence your party about how to govern in the national interest. A vital Conservative voice.’
Women and Equalities Minister Penny Mordaunt said: ‘Brave stuff from Ruth Davidson which will, no doubt, help others. Thank you.’
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: ‘How Ruth Davidson remained so composed and assured whilst being so frank and open about such a troubled chapter in her life is beyond me. She has my respect.’
Former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell, who is now an ambassador for the Time To Change mental health group, said it was important for highprofile people to be honest about their mental health struggles.
He added: ‘The more people in public life who show that it is possible to have, or to have had, mental health problems, and to take on big challenges, the better.
‘I certainly don’t think that the issues Ruth Davidson has talked about would in any way bar her from seeking high office.
‘But ultimately people have to be the best judges themselves of what levels of pressure and scrutiny they could bear, and there is no doubt being Prime Minister means a lot of both.’
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: ‘Poor mental wellbeing can leave scars, both physical and psychological.
‘Ruth Davidson’s decision to discuss her own experiences including self-harm will mean a great deal to a great many people. We must continue to do all we can to end the stigma surrounding mental health.’
Johnny Mercer, the Tory MP for Plymouth Moor View, said: ‘A very brave lady. This is an awful lot more people’s “every-day” than most ever realise.’
And Aberdeen North Nationalist MP Kirsty Blackman offered her political adversary some advice: ‘Opening up about my mental health helped me and I hope it helps others – but just a heads-up that I went on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster for a wee while afterwards. Be kind to yourself and allow yourself the space to process if you need it. It’s a very brave thing to do.’
Royal College of Psychiatrists Scotland chairman John Crichton tweeted: ‘Thank you Ruth Davidson for speaking out so honestly – we must get our mental health services right for those in school, university and the workplace.’
The Scottish Association for Mental Health also praised her for ‘speaking so openly’ about the issue on Twitter, and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon then retweeted its comments.
Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf added: ‘Well done Ruth
‘Brave stuff that will help others’
for talking openly about your own mental health.’
Miss Davidson also told The Sunday Times how she would put her family before Westminster: ‘The idea that I would have a child in Edinburgh and then immediately go down to London four days a week and leave it up here is offensive, actually offensive to me.’
She managed to conquer depression by steps including regular exercise, moderating her drinking, and throwing away her pills.
Miss Davidson said: ‘I am still frightened of going back to the psychological place I once inhabited. When I have periods of heightened anxiety, or I can feel the weight of the black blanket start to descend, I go back to what I know works for me: structure, exercise, forward momentum, measurable outcomes.
‘Sometimes that’s hard in a job that’s 100 miles per hour.’
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