it matron's handbag will be in hyper-action. There could be worse precedents to follow". At her first party conference in March 2006, Goldie set out her plans to make the Scottish Conservatives the "principal party of opposition in Scotland". However, her second conference as party leader was overshadowed by a leaked memo by David Mundell, the only Scottish Conservative MP in the House of Commons, and Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, in which he criticised Goldie's leadership. Goldie won praise for her leadership of the party into the 2007 Scottish Parliament election and personally as a skilled debater, and was labelled a "much-liked public figure". From February 2009 onwards, she was given monthly attendance rights to participate in the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet in Westminster. On 9 May 2011, Goldie stated her intention to resign as leader of the Scottish Conservatives, citing her party's disappointing election result; she stood down on 4 November following the election of Ruth Davidson as her successor. Goldie later served as the party's culture and communities and served as the party's constitutional spokesperson during the 2014 Scottish referendum and stood down from the Parliament at the 2016 election. Goldie was put on the 2013 list as a Conservative working peer in the House of Lords and was created a life peer on 3 October 2013, taking the title Baroness Goldie, of Bishopton in the County of Renfrewshire. In June 2016, she was appointed a Baroness-in-Waiting in the Royal Household, acting as a whip in the UK Government. She was promoted in July 2019 to Minister of State for Defence. She was later reappointed by Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak respectively. Sbe has identified the need for the armed forces to address climate change, and to improve the experience of women in the forces, as among her priorities. Personal life Goldie lives in Bishopton, Renfrewshire. She is also an Elder in the Church of Scotland, and sits on the West of Scotland Advisory Board of the Salvation Army. She is a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Renfrewshire. Notes References External links Annabel Goldie's blog at Wordpress.com Scottish Conservative biography Goldie 'ready to wield handbag', BBC News, 8 November 2005 |- 1950 births Living people Alumni of the University of Strathclyde Conservative Party (UK) life peers Conservative MSPs Deputy Lieutenants of Renfrewshire Elders of the Church of Scotland People educated at Greenock Academy Leaders of