Andrew Wilson (politician)
Encyclopedia
Andrew Wilson, born in Lanark
, South Lanarkshire
, Scotland
, 1970 is a former Member of the Scottish Parliament
(MSP).
Whilst attending the University of Strathclyde
, Glasgow
, (from where he graduated in 1992 with a degree in economics
and politics
) he was elected Vice President of the Students Association and became National Convener of the Scottish National Party
(SNP) student organisation, the Federation of Student Nationalists
. He joined the Government Economic Service
after graduation, serving with the Forestry Commission
and Scottish Office
, and in 1996 he started work at SNP Headquarters, Edinburgh
, as a researcher, before entering employment with the Royal Bank of Scotland
as a business economist in 1997.
Elected in first election to the newly re-established Scottish Parliament
he was elected as one of five SNP MSPs to represent Central Scotland
through the Additional Members System.
Whilst an MSP he served variously in the Shadow Cabinet as the SNP Finance, Economy, Lifelong Learning and Transport Spokesperson. He was widely viewed by commentators as a rising star of the SNP, an iconoclast and pro-market economist he made much headway selling the idea of fiscal autonomy to the mainstream media and society. It was adopted by The Scotsman
, a unionist
newspaper and later went on to win support across the political spectrum.
He came within 520 votes of unseating Cathie Craigie
in the first past the post contest for the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth
seat, but when only three SNP MSPs were returned from Central Scotland he lost his place as an MSP. He was the Deputy Chief Economist at the Royal Bank of Scotland and is currently Head of Group Communications. He is a Trustee of the John Smith Memorial Trust, a former member of the Governing Board of the Scottish Crop Research Institute
and a Director of Motherwell Football Club.
Lanark
Lanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland. The name is believed to come from the Cumbric Lanerc meaning "clear space, glade"....
, South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, 1970 is a former Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
(MSP).
Whilst attending the University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, (from where he graduated in 1992 with a degree in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
) he was elected Vice President of the Students Association and became National Convener of the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
(SNP) student organisation, the Federation of Student Nationalists
Federation of Student Nationalists
The Federation of Student Nationalists is the student wing of the Scottish National Party , representing students in Scottish higher education...
. He joined the Government Economic Service
Government Economic Service
The Government Economic Service was founded in 1964 by Sir Alec Cairncross. It is a professional grouping of public sector economists who work across some 40 government departments and agencies, the Bank of England is also a Corporate Member of the GES. The GES recruits economists on behalf of the...
after graduation, serving with the Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
and Scottish Office
Scottish Office
The Scottish Office was a department of the United Kingdom Government from 1885 until 1999, exercising a wide range of government functions in relation to Scotland under the control of the Secretary of State for Scotland...
, and in 1996 he started work at SNP Headquarters, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, as a researcher, before entering employment with the Royal Bank of Scotland
Royal Bank of Scotland
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...
as a business economist in 1997.
Elected in first election to the newly re-established Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
he was elected as one of five SNP MSPs to represent Central Scotland
Central Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
Central Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Ten of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
through the Additional Members System.
Whilst an MSP he served variously in the Shadow Cabinet as the SNP Finance, Economy, Lifelong Learning and Transport Spokesperson. He was widely viewed by commentators as a rising star of the SNP, an iconoclast and pro-market economist he made much headway selling the idea of fiscal autonomy to the mainstream media and society. It was adopted by The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
, a unionist
Unionists (Scotland)
Unionism in Scotland is the belief in that Scotland should remain in the United Kingdom in its present structure as one of the countries of the United Kingdom. There are many strands of political Unionism in Scotland, as well as sympathisers with Unionism in Northern Ireland...
newspaper and later went on to win support across the political spectrum.
He came within 520 votes of unseating Cathie Craigie
Cathie Craigie
Cathie Craigie was a Scottish Labour politician and was Member of the Scottish Parliament for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency from 1999 to 2011. She was re-elected in 2003 with a majority of 520 votes, and increased this to 2,079 in 2007...
in the first past the post contest for the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth 1975-96Cumbernauld and Kilsyth was formerly one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde region of Scotland....
seat, but when only three SNP MSPs were returned from Central Scotland he lost his place as an MSP. He was the Deputy Chief Economist at the Royal Bank of Scotland and is currently Head of Group Communications. He is a Trustee of the John Smith Memorial Trust, a former member of the Governing Board of the Scottish Crop Research Institute
Scottish Crop Research Institute
The Scottish Crop Research Institute more commonly known as the SCRI was a scientific institute located in Invergowrie near Dundee, Scotland. As of April 2011, when SCRI merged with the Macaulay Land Use Institute it is now part of The James Hutton Institute.-History:The institute was opened in...
and a Director of Motherwell Football Club.