Ruth Davidson named among Vogue's 25 most influential UK women

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has been named in Vogue magazine's inaugural guide to Britain's 25 most influential and aspirational female figures.

By The Newsroom Thursday, 31st May 2018, 7:00 am Updated Thursday, 31st May 2018, 7:56 am

Ms Davidson appears alongside the Duchess of Sussex and singer Dua Lipa on the UK list.

Dubbed Vogue 25, the list is comprised of what the fashion publication says is “an extraordinary cast of leaders defining – and redefining – the way we live now”.

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Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson. Picture: John Devlin

The handpicked women vary in age from 22 (Lipa) to 73 (Baroness Hale, the President of the Supreme Court).

Those named include figures from the worlds of politics, the arts, fashion, media and sport.

Neither Prime Minister Theresa May nor First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made the list.

Ms Davidson is praised as a “beacon, thanks to her relatable personality and progressive ideas” among a “sea of old-guard Tories” by the magazine.

The publication also cites the openly gay politician’s “spectacular gains for her party in the last Scottish elections” as a reason for her position on its list.

Following her wedding to Prince Harry on 19 May, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is hailed as a person who “captured the public imagination like no other this year” by Vogue.

The magazine says that Meghan – “one of the most recognisable women in the world” – has an influence that “stretches far beyond the ceaseless coverage of her style – as a bi-racial campaigning feminist from America, she is helping to forge a new 21st-century identity for the monarchy”.

Lipa, who won two Brit Awards earlier this year after being the first woman to receive five nominations on one night, is described by Vogue as a “culture definer”.

“Her hit New Rules, an anthem of female empowerment, laid out a blueprint for modern sex lives and has, to date, had more than a billion views on YouTube,” the magazine says.

The list also includes Harry Potter author JK Rowling, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, Black Panther actress Letitia Wright, fashion designer Stella McCartney, artistic director of the Royal Court Vicky Featherstone and models Edie Campbell and Adwoa Aboah.

Music executive and Skepta’s manager Grace Ladoja, writer and academic Sinead Burke and Collette Roche, the chief operating officer of Manchester United, also appear.

The feature appears in the July issue of Vogue, on sale on Friday, 8 June.

Here’s the full list of The Vogue 25:

Ruth Davidson – Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party

JK Rowling – Author

Sinead Burke – Writer and academic

Grace Ladoja – Music executive

Priyanka Joshi – Biochemist

Karen Blackett – Advertising Director

Dua Lipa – Singer

Carolyn McCall – Chief Executive of ITV

Letitia Wright – Actress

Maria Balshaw – Director of Tate

Edie Campbell – Model

Amal Clooney – Human rights lawyer

Hannah Anderson – Co-founder of social chain

Vicky Featherstone – Artistic Director of the Royal Court

Carole Cadwalladr, Amelia Gentleman and Katharine Viner – Journalists

The Duchess of Sussex – New member of the Royal Family

Yana Peel – CEO of the Serpentine Galleries

Adwoa Aboah – Model

Brenda Hale – President of the Supreme Court

Stella McCartney – Fashion designer

Antonia Romeo – Permanent secretary at the Department for International Trade

Collette Roche – COO of Manchester United

Natalie Kingham – Buying Director at Matches Fashion

Orla Doherty – TV producer and environmentalist