Angus Robertson
Encyclopedia
Angus Struan Carolus Robertson (Scottish Gaelic: Aonghas Sruthan Teàrlach Mac Raibeart, born 28 September 1969) is the Scottish National Party
(SNP) Member of Parliament
(MP) for Moray
and is the SNP's Parliamentary Group Leader and spokesperson for foreign affairs
and defence
.
Robertson was the Election Co-ordinator for the Scottish National party's successful 2007 and 2011 Scottish Parliament
election campaigns. On 3 June 2011, he was appointed the SNP's Campaign Director for the Scottish Independence
referendum campaign
.
and German mother in Wimbledon, London
and was brought up in Edinburgh
. He was educated at Broughton High School, Edinburgh
and the University of Aberdeen
, where he completed an MA Honours in politics
and international relations
. He speaks fluent German
. After university he embarked on a journalistic career
, and worked as a foreign and diplomatic correspondent in Central Europe
for the BBC
, Austrian Radio and other leading broadcasters.
. During his first parliamentary session
, Robertson was Scotland's youngest MP and was rated Scotland's "hardest working MP" according to statistics from the House of Commons. He is the SNP's spokesman on Defence
and International Relations
, and is well above average amongst MPs in his contributions to Parliament. He has consistently been amongst the 30 MPs who claim the most expenses, mainly due to high travel expenses. Robertson provided Swiss Senator Dick Marty
a report containing what he calls 'a detailed report of numerous suspect movements of aircraft
transiting through Scotland. Robertson's main political interests are Scottish independence
, international and European affairs
, defence
, whisky
, oil
, fishing
, sustainable development
and youth issues
. He is Founder of the All Party Parliamentary Group on the South Caucasus
. He is also a member of the European Scrutiny Committee
, Vice-Chairman of the All Party Whisky Group, Vice-Chairman of the All Party Offshore Oil and Gas Group, member of the All Party Fisheries Group and participant in the Parliamentary Armed Forces Scheme. In May 2007, he became SNP Leader in the House of Commons, following Alex Salmond
's election as First Minister of Scotland
.
Robertson's expenses claims included a television costing £1119, a £400 home cinema system, £500 for a bed, £20 for a corkscrew and £2324 for a sofa bed.
The home cinema system was initially denied by the expenses office, however Roberton appealed this decision and it was subsequently awarded.
Parliamentary
Profiles
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) Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Moray
Moray (UK Parliament constituency)
-Sources:* * * * * * -See also:...
and is the SNP's Parliamentary Group Leader and spokesperson for foreign affairs
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
and defence
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
.
Robertson was the Election Co-ordinator for the Scottish National party's successful 2007 and 2011 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...
election campaigns. On 3 June 2011, he was appointed the SNP's Campaign Director for the Scottish Independence
Scottish independence
Scottish independence is a political ambition of political parties, advocacy groups and individuals for Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom and become an independent sovereign state, separate from England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
referendum campaign
Independence referendum
An independence referendum is a type of referendum in which the citizens of a territory decide whether the territory should become an independent country. The independence referendum is considered successful if the citizens vote in favor of independence or unsuccessful if they do not...
.
Background
Robertson was born to a Scottish fatherScottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
and German mother in Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
and was brought up in 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...
. He was educated at Broughton High School, 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...
and the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
, where he completed an MA Honours in 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...
and international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
. He speaks fluent German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. After university he embarked on a journalistic career
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, and worked as a foreign and diplomatic correspondent in Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Austrian Radio and other leading broadcasters.
House of Commons
Before his election in June 2001 he was the European and International Affairs Adviser to the SNP group in the Scottish ParliamentScottish 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...
. During his first parliamentary session
Parliamentary session
A legislative session is the period of time in which a legislature, in both parliamentary and presidential systems, is convened for purpose of lawmaking, usually being one of two or more smaller divisions of the entire time between two elections...
, Robertson was Scotland's youngest MP and was rated Scotland's "hardest working MP" according to statistics from the House of Commons. He is the SNP's spokesman on Defence
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
and International Relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
, and is well above average amongst MPs in his contributions to Parliament. He has consistently been amongst the 30 MPs who claim the most expenses, mainly due to high travel expenses. Robertson provided Swiss Senator Dick Marty
Dick Marty
Dick Marty is a Swiss politician and former state prosecutor of the canton of Ticino. He is a member of the Swiss Council of States , and a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.-Education:Marty holds a doctorate in law from the University of Neuchâtel with the thesis:...
a report containing what he calls 'a detailed report of numerous suspect movements of aircraft
Extraordinary rendition
Extraordinary rendition is the abduction and illegal transfer of a person from one nation to another. "Torture by proxy" is used by some critics to describe situations in which the United States and the United Kingdom have transferred suspected terrorists to other countries in order to torture the...
transiting through Scotland. Robertson's main political interests are Scottish independence
Scottish independence
Scottish independence is a political ambition of political parties, advocacy groups and individuals for Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom and become an independent sovereign state, separate from England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
, international and European affairs
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
, defence
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
, whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
, oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, sustainable development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
and youth issues
Youth
Youth is the time of life between childhood and adulthood . Definitions of the specific age range that constitutes youth vary. An individual's actual maturity may not correspond to their chronological age, as immature individuals could exist at all ages.-Usage:Around the world, the terms "youth",...
. He is Founder of the All Party Parliamentary Group on the South Caucasus
South Caucasus
The South Caucasus is a geopolitical region located on the border of Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia also referred to as Transcaucasia, or The Trans-Caucasus...
. He is also a member of the European Scrutiny Committee
European Scrutiny Committee
The European Scrutiny Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The remit of the Committee is to assess the legal and political importance of each EU document, and decide which EU documents are debated...
, Vice-Chairman of the All Party Whisky Group, Vice-Chairman of the All Party Offshore Oil and Gas Group, member of the All Party Fisheries Group and participant in the Parliamentary Armed Forces Scheme. In May 2007, he became SNP Leader in the House of Commons, following Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
's election as First Minister of Scotland
First Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
.
Expenses claims
Robertson's expenses claims included a television costing £1119, a £400 home cinema system, £500 for a bed, £20 for a corkscrew and £2324 for a sofa bed.
The home cinema system was initially denied by the expenses office, however Roberton appealed this decision and it was subsequently awarded.
Positions held
Party- Member, National Executive, Young Scottish Nationalists (1986)
- National organiser, Federation of Student NationalistsFederation of Student NationalistsThe Federation of Student Nationalists is the student wing of the Scottish National Party , representing students in Scottish higher education...
(1988) - Member, SNP International Bureau
- Deputy SNP spokesperson for Constitutional and External Affairs (1998–1999)
- European policy adviser, SNP Group, Scottish Parliament
Parliamentary
- SNP Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and for Defence (2001–present)
- SNP Spokesperson for Europe and for Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (2005–07)
- SNP Westminster Group Deputy Leader (2005–07)
- SNP Westminster Group Leader (2007–present)
External links
Profiles