RUTH Davidson was last night elected the fresh-faced new leader of the Scottish Conservatives, claiming the mantle of "radical generational change".

The 32-year-old MSP, in the party for just three years and elected to Holyrood only six months ago, will find herself going head-to-head with Alex Salmond next Thursday at First Minister's Questions.

The former broadcaster beat three experienced parliamentarians, including the long-standing deputy leader Murdo Fraser, to succeed Annabel Goldie.

But having triumphed, she has to face the fact that most of her own parliamentary group did not back her and she will be under pressure to hit the ground running against the all-powerful SNP Government.

Ms Davidson appealed to the whole party – from the grassroots to MSPs and grandees – to come together in a determined effort to restore the Conservatives' fortunes in Scotland.

"With the radical, generational change that I represent, this is a unique opportunity for us to rebuild the party and to once again become a powerful, meaningful and relevant force in Scottish politics and in Scottish life," said Ms Davidson.

"This is a time of generational change for the Scottish Conservatives, a party for all, regardless of age and of background. I want everyone to feel that they have a place, a role and a voice that can and should be heard. I want to engage the whole party from the grassroots up and to extend that conversation with the electorate at large. The hard work starts here. Today is the first day of a new and bright future of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party."

Ms Davidson, who is openly gay, won by around 200 votes in the first round against Mr Fraser, but by the end of proportional voting had won by around 10 percentage points.

Mr Fraser paid a crushing price for his bold gamble of telling home truths to a party in decline and saying he would abolish the current structure in favour of a new centre-right party.

He accepted the result, saying he believed all MSPs would rally behind their new leader, but hinted that he had not dropped altogether his belief in the idea of reforming under a new banner.

It was put to him that if he had not called for the abolition of the party in its current form he might have won. The principle was everything, he insisted, citing King Henry IV of France, who switched denomination to gain power, saying: "Paris is well worth a Mass."

It was a defiant note, suggesting that although Mr Fraser was conceding defeat now, he was not admitting he was wrong in his analysis.

However, with fully half of the Tory Holyrood group backing Mr Fraser, Ms Davidson will have to tread warily.

She admitted: "Our loyal and hard-working members in the associations and constituencies are the life-blood of our party. But there has been a failure to fully involve them both in policy development and party management and strategy. That will now change."

She said it was essential the party now reached out "to all those who share our Conservative values and principles but have stopped listening to us. We need to re-engage with them also and prove to them that we are the party of hope and aspiration.

"The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party is very much alive and kicking. That has been very clear in the exhilarating debate we have had during this campaign. It is now up to all of us to build on that momentum and drive the party forward."

She added: "We in the Scottish Conservatives have a duty as well as an opportunity to be the party that stands up for Scotland as a vital component of the Union. We must not allow the SNP to tear up that right. Scotland is not being served if politicians behave like rabbits caught in the headlights of Salmond's separatist steam-roller.

"We must have the courage and conviction to stop him in his tracks by always presenting and promoting the positive case for the Union."