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Richard Simpson (politician)
Encyclopedia
Richard Simpson is a Scottish
Labour
politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament
for the Ochil
constituency from 1999 to 2003 and a Member of the Scottish Parliament
for the Mid-Scotland and Fife region
as of the 2007 election. He is a member of Unite
.
and psychiatrist
prior to his election, Dr Simpson is a fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists
and a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners
. He was also a former associate member of the British Association of Urological Surgeons and a member of the faculty's working group on Prostate Cancer.
He was a founding member and Chair of the Strathcarron Hospice
, Denny.
Between 2003 and 2007 he worked within Addiction medicine
, first within Glasgow
then as Consultant Psychiatrist
in charge of the Drug Addiction Team of West Lothian
.
. In the 2007 parliament he was the Labour lead on the Health and Wellbeing Committee and also Co-Convener of the Cross-Party Groups in the Scottish Parliament
on Drug and Alcohol Misuse and on Mental Health, and a Member of the Cross-Party Groups in the Scottish Parliament
on Epilepsy, Golf, Palestine, Tobacco Control and Visual Impairment.
Simpson's campaigns include 'Save Waterwatch', the undergrounding of the electricity line from Beauly to Denny and stop the running of night trains on the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway line. He was also central to the dropping of the SNP bid to allow local licensing boards to ban under 21 alcohol sales, stating that this would discriminate against young people who were responsible drinkers.
Simpson was elected in 1999 as the first MSP
for Ochil
. He was made the deputy Justice minister when Jack McConnell
became First Minister
in 2001. As a Minister, Dr Simpson launched the Scotland's People genealogy web page in 2002. He stepped down as minister in November 2002.
Simpson was returned to the Scottish Parliament in 2007 as third on the Labour Regional list for Mid Scotland and Fife. At the election on May 5th 2011, he was once again returned to Holyrood as a regional MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife.
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...
Labour
Scottish Labour Party
The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....
politician, and 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:...
for the Ochil
Ochil (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Ochil was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
constituency from 1999 to 2003 and a 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:...
for the Mid-Scotland and Fife region
Mid Scotland and Fife (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
Mid Scotland and Fife is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Nine 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...
as of the 2007 election. He is a member of Unite
Unite the Union
Unite – the Union, known as Unite, is a British and Irish trade union, formed on 1 May 2007, by the merger of Amicus and the Transport and General Workers' Union...
.
Medical career
A GPGeneral practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
and psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
prior to his election, Dr Simpson is a fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists
Royal College of Psychiatrists
The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the main professional organisation of psychiatrists in the United Kingdom responsible for representing psychiatrists, psychiatric research and providing public information about mental health problems...
and a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners
Royal College of General Practitioners
The Royal College of General Practitioners is the professional body for general practitioners in the United Kingdom. The RCGP represents and supports GPs on key issues including licensing, education, training, research and clinical standards. It is the largest of the medical royal colleges, with...
. He was also a former associate member of the British Association of Urological Surgeons and a member of the faculty's working group on Prostate Cancer.
He was a founding member and Chair of the Strathcarron Hospice
Strathcarron Hospice
Strathcarron Hospice is a free palliative care resource in Denny in the heart of Scotland, serving over 1/3 million people in the Forth Valley and North Lanarkshire areas. It was established in 1981 and cares for patients with an active, life-limiting disease. It relies heavily on volunteers and...
, Denny.
Between 2003 and 2007 he worked within Addiction medicine
Addiction Medicine
Addiction medicine is a medical specialty that deals with the treatment of addiction. The specialty often crosses over into other areas, since various aspects of addiction fall within the fields of public health, psychology, social work, psychiatry, and internal medicine, among others...
, first within 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...
then as Consultant Psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
in charge of the Drug Addiction Team of West Lothian
West Lothian
West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire....
.
Scottish Parliament
Simpson is the current Deputy Party Spokesperson on Health for the Labour PartyScottish Labour Party
The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....
. In the 2007 parliament he was the Labour lead on the Health and Wellbeing Committee and also Co-Convener of the Cross-Party Groups in the 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...
on Drug and Alcohol Misuse and on Mental Health, and a Member of the Cross-Party Groups in the 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...
on Epilepsy, Golf, Palestine, Tobacco Control and Visual Impairment.
Simpson's campaigns include 'Save Waterwatch', the undergrounding of the electricity line from Beauly to Denny and stop the running of night trains on the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway line. He was also central to the dropping of the SNP bid to allow local licensing boards to ban under 21 alcohol sales, stating that this would discriminate against young people who were responsible drinkers.
Simpson was elected in 1999 as the first MSP
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:...
for Ochil
Ochil (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Ochil was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
. He was made the deputy Justice minister when Jack McConnell
Jack McConnell
Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale is a British Labour life peer in the House of Lords. He was third First Minister of Scotland from 2001 to 2007, making him the longest serving First Minister in the history of the Scottish Parliament...
became First Minister
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...
in 2001. As a Minister, Dr Simpson launched the Scotland's People genealogy web page in 2002. He stepped down as minister in November 2002.
Simpson was returned to the Scottish Parliament in 2007 as third on the Labour Regional list for Mid Scotland and Fife. At the election on May 5th 2011, he was once again returned to Holyrood as a regional MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife.