Scottish Labour leader appears with female partner for first time as she casts her vote

May 05 2016
Written by Nick Duffy

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has appeared in public with her partner for the first time – as she casts her vote in the Scottish elections.

The Labour politician became the fourth Scottish leader to come out last month, when she said: “I have a female partner. I don’t talk about it very much because I don’t feel I need to.”

As voting takes place today for the Scottish Parliament, Ms Dugdale cast her vote in Edinburgh at St Ninian & Triduana RC Church polling station.

She appeared arm-in-arm with partner Louise Riddell as they walked into the polling station, as the pair went to vote… presumably both for Labour.

Speaking to PinkNews last month she said: “I believe fundamentally in equality and because of that I don’t think who my partner is matters. That’s why I choice to use language like ‘I have a female partner’, it was nothing to do with labels.

“It has everything to do with how I would describe my life and my partner and how I choice to talk about that.

“I’m quite clearly gay, it’s just the use of language that we’re talking about here and I just did it in a very natural way, in the way I would say to a complete stranger meeting for the first time or a friend or someone at work.”

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, Scottish Green Party leader Patrick Harvie and UKIP Scotland leader David Coburn are all openly LGB.

Ms Davidson also cast her vote alongside her partner Jen at St Mary’s Parish Church in Edinburgh – though her sparkly pants were not visible.
Scottish Labour leader appears with female partner for first time as she casts her vote