Scottish Liberal Democrats
Encyclopedia
The Scottish Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties within the federal
Liberal Democrats
; the others being the Welsh Liberal Democrats
and the Liberal Democrats in England
. The Scottish Liberal Democrats hold 5 of 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament
, 11 of 59 Scottish seats in the UK Parliament, and one of six Scottish seats in the European Parliament
.
of organisations, the Scottish party also consists of a number of local parties (which mostly follow the boundaries of the 73 Scottish Parliament constituencies), which are each distinct accounting units under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
. Local parties are predominantly responsible for the party's political campaign
ing and for selecting candidates for parliamentary and local authority elections. There are also eight regional parties (based on the boundaries of the eight Scottish Parliament electoral regions).
MSP, the deputy leader Jo Swinson
MP and the party President Malcolm Bruce
MP. The development of party policy rests upon a distinct 14-member Policy Committee, chaired by Siobhan Mathers. The Chief Executive is Martin Hayman, and the party's headquarters are at 4 Clifton Terrace, Edinburgh
.
in March 2010; and a one-day Autumn Conference, last held in Dunfermline
in October 2010.
and the Social Democratic Party
in Scotland, following the merger of these parties in 1988.
The party campaigned for the creation of a devolved Scottish Parliament
as part of its wider policy of a federal
United Kingdom. In the late 1980s and 1990s it and its representatives participated in the Scottish Constitutional Convention
with the Scottish Labour Party
, Scottish Green Party
, trades unions and churches, and also campaigned for a "Yes-Yes" vote in the 1997 devolution referendum.
in 1999, the party won 17 seats. Following this, the party formed a coalition government
with the Scottish Labour Party
in the Scottish Executive
. The then party leader, Jim Wallace
, became Deputy First Minister of Scotland
and Minister for Justice. He also served as acting First Minister
on three occasions, during the illness and then later death of the first First Minister Donald Dewar
and following the resignation of his successor Henry McLeish
. This partnership was renewed in 2003 and Wallace became Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning. On 23 June 2005, Nicol Stephen
MSP succeeded Wallace as party leader and took over his positions in the Executive until the 2007 elections.
Prior to the partnership government being formed in 1999, the UK had only limited experience of coalition government. The party's participation attracted criticism for involving compromises to its preferred policies, although several of its manifesto pledges were adopted as government policy or legislation. These included changes to the arrangements for student contributions to higher education costs (although whether that amounted to the claimed achievement of having abolished tuition fees was hotly contested), free personal care for the elderly and (during the second coalition government) changing the system of elections for Scottish local authorities to the single transferable vote
, a long-standing Liberal Democrat policy.
and the Scottish Green Party
, the party refused to participate in coalition negotiations because of a disagreement over the SNP's policy of a referendum
on Scottish independence
, and now sits as an opposition party in the Parliament.
On 2 July 2008, Nicol Stephen
resigned as the party leader. The former deputy leader Michael Moore MP
served as acting leader of the party until Tavish Scott
MSP was elected party leader on 26 August 2008, winning 59% of the votes cast in a contest with parliamentary colleagues Ross Finnie
and Mike Rumbles
. (See also Scottish Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2008
.)
At the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections, the party lost all its mainland constituencies, retaining only the two constituencies of Orkney and Shetland. It also secured three List MSPs. This was by far the party's worst electoral performance since the re-establishment of a Scottish parliament in 1999.
which the party considers should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament, including broadcasting
, energy
, drugs
and abortion
. The party also believes that the Scottish Parliament
should exercise greater responsibility on fiscal matters
. A party commission chaired by former Liberal Party leader and Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer Sir David Steel set out the party's proposals on the constitutional issue.
According to its constitution, the party believes in a "fair, free and open society ... in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity". It has traditionally argued for both positive and negative liberties, tolerance of social diversity, decentralisation
of political authority, including proportional representation
for public elections, internationalism and greater involvement in the European Union
. In the 2007 elections it campaigned for reforms to public services
and local taxation, and for more powers for the Scottish Parliament
within a federal
Britain.
In December 2007, the party (along with Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives) supported the creation of a new Commission on Scottish Devolution
, along similar lines to the earlier Scottish Constitutional Convention
, to discuss further powers for the Scottish Parliament. The SNP Government
had earlier in the same year launched a "National Conversation
" which includes the option of independence for Scotland.
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
; the others being the Welsh Liberal Democrats
Welsh Liberal Democrats
The Welsh Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties of the federal Liberal Democrats and operate within Wales, the others being the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in England....
and the Liberal Democrats in England
Liberal Democrats in England
The Liberal Democrats in England, informally known as the English Liberal Democrats, is the state party within the Liberal Democrats that operates in England. It is a federation of the eleven regional parties in England which are further divided into local parties...
. The Scottish Liberal Democrats hold 5 of 129 seats 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...
, 11 of 59 Scottish seats in the UK Parliament, and one of six Scottish seats in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
.
Leaders of the Scottish Liberal Democrats
- Malcolm BruceMalcolm BruceMalcolm Gray Bruce, MP is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Gordon. He has been the chairman of the International Development Select Committee since 2005.-Early life:...
(3 March 1988-18 April 1992) - Jim Wallace (18 April 1992-23 June 2005)
- Nicol StephenNicol StephenNicol Ross Stephen, Baron Stephen of Lower Deeside in the City of Aberdeen is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Aberdeen South, and was leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 2005 to 2008...
(27 June 2005-2 July 2008) - Tavish ScottTavish ScottTavish Hamilton Scott MSP is a Scottish politician and MSP for Shetland. He was Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 2008 to 2011...
(26 August 2008-7 May 2011) - Willie RennieWillie RennieWilliam Cowan Rennie MSP is a Scottish politician and current Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.After college, Rennie spent most of his early career as a Liberal Democrat campaigner and official before working as a public relations consultant in the private sector...
(17 May 2011 – present)
Liberal Democrat leaders in the Scottish Parliament
- Jim Wallace (1999–2005)
- Nicol StephenNicol StephenNicol Ross Stephen, Baron Stephen of Lower Deeside in the City of Aberdeen is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Aberdeen South, and was leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 2005 to 2008...
(2005–2008) - Tavish ScottTavish ScottTavish Hamilton Scott MSP is a Scottish politician and MSP for Shetland. He was Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 2008 to 2011...
(2008–2011) - Willie RennieWillie RennieWilliam Cowan Rennie MSP is a Scottish politician and current Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.After college, Rennie spent most of his early career as a Liberal Democrat campaigner and official before working as a public relations consultant in the private sector...
(2011–present)
Structure
In keeping with its basis as a federationFederation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
of organisations, the Scottish party also consists of a number of local parties (which mostly follow the boundaries of the 73 Scottish Parliament constituencies), which are each distinct accounting units under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that sets out how political parties, elections and referendums are to be regulated in the United Kingdom...
. Local parties are predominantly responsible for the party's political campaign
Political campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...
ing and for selecting candidates for parliamentary and local authority elections. There are also eight regional parties (based on the boundaries of the eight Scottish Parliament electoral regions).
Administration
The conference is the highest decision-making body of the party on both policy and strategic issues. The day-to-day organisation of the party is the responsibility of the party's 34-member Executive Committee, chaired by Party Convener Audrey Findlay, and the eight Office Bearers, including the leader Tavish ScottTavish Scott
Tavish Hamilton Scott MSP is a Scottish politician and MSP for Shetland. He was Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 2008 to 2011...
MSP, the deputy leader Jo Swinson
Jo Swinson
Jo Swinson is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician and Member of Parliament for East Dunbartonshire constituency, a suburban and semi-rural area to the north of Glasgow in Scotland, and is the Deputy Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats...
MP and the party President Malcolm Bruce
Malcolm Bruce
Malcolm Gray Bruce, MP is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Gordon. He has been the chairman of the International Development Select Committee since 2005.-Early life:...
MP. The development of party policy rests upon a distinct 14-member Policy Committee, chaired by Siobhan Mathers. The Chief Executive is Martin Hayman, and the party's headquarters are at 4 Clifton Terrace, 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...
.
Conferences
The party holds two conferences per year: a three-day Spring Conference, last held in PerthPerth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
in March 2010; and a one-day Autumn Conference, last held in Dunfermline
Dunfermline
Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
in October 2010.
Associated organisations
Associated organisations generally seek to influence the direction of the party on a specific issue or represent a section of the party membership. The party has five associated organisations:- Association of Scottish Liberal Democrat Councillors and Campaigners (ASLDC)
- Liberal Democrats for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality (DELGA) (Scottish Board)
- Liberal Youth ScotlandLiberal Youth ScotlandLiberal Youth Scotland is the youth and students wing of the Scottish Liberal Democrats. Reformed from the Scottish Young Liberal Democrats in 2008, the organisation has taken a prominent role in party conferences...
(LYS) - Scottish Green Liberal Democrats
- Scottish Women Liberal Democrats
History
The Scottish Liberal Democrat party is the successor to the Scottish Liberal PartyLiberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
and the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
in Scotland, following the merger of these parties in 1988.
The party campaigned for the creation of a devolved 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...
as part of its wider policy of a federal
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
United Kingdom. In the late 1980s and 1990s it and its representatives participated in the Scottish Constitutional Convention
Scottish Constitutional Convention
The Scottish Constitutional Convention was an association of Scottish political parties, churches and other civic groups, that developed a framework for a Scottish devolution. It is credited as having paved the way for the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.The Convention was...
with the Scottish Labour Party
Scottish Labour Party
The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....
, Scottish Green Party
Scottish Green Party
The Scottish Green Party is a green party in Scotland. It has two MSPs in the devolved Scottish Parliament, Alison Johnstone, representing Lothian, and Patrick Harvie, for Glasgow.-Organisation:...
, trades unions and churches, and also campaigned for a "Yes-Yes" vote in the 1997 devolution referendum.
1999-2007: Coalition government with Labour
In the first elections to the Scottish ParliamentScottish Parliament election, 1999
The Scottish Parliament election, 1999 was the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, with voting taking place on 6 May 1999 to elect 129 members...
in 1999, the party won 17 seats. Following this, the party formed a coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
with the Scottish Labour Party
Scottish Labour Party
The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....
in the Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
. The then party leader, Jim Wallace
Jim Wallace
The Rt. Hon. James Robert Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness, PC, QC , is a British politician, currently a life peer in the House of Lords and the Advocate General for Scotland...
, became Deputy First Minister of Scotland
Deputy First Minister of Scotland
The Deputy First Minister of Scotland is the deputy to the First Minister of Scotland.The post is not recognised in statute , and its holder is simply an ordinary member of the Scottish Government...
and Minister for Justice. He also served as acting 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...
on three occasions, during the illness and then later death of the first First Minister Donald Dewar
Donald Dewar
Donald Campbell Dewar was a British politician who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament in Scotland from 1966-1970, and then again from 1978 until his death in 2000. He served in Tony Blair's cabinet as Secretary of State for Scotland from 1997-1999 and was instrumental in the creation...
and following the resignation of his successor Henry McLeish
Henry McLeish
Henry Baird McLeish is a Scottish Labour Party politician, author and academic. Formerly a professional association football player, McLeish was the Member of Parliament for Central Fife from 1987 to 2001 and the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Central Fife from 1999 to 2003, during which...
. This partnership was renewed in 2003 and Wallace became Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning. On 23 June 2005, Nicol Stephen
Nicol Stephen
Nicol Ross Stephen, Baron Stephen of Lower Deeside in the City of Aberdeen is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Aberdeen South, and was leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 2005 to 2008...
MSP succeeded Wallace as party leader and took over his positions in the Executive until the 2007 elections.
Prior to the partnership government being formed in 1999, the UK had only limited experience of coalition government. The party's participation attracted criticism for involving compromises to its preferred policies, although several of its manifesto pledges were adopted as government policy or legislation. These included changes to the arrangements for student contributions to higher education costs (although whether that amounted to the claimed achievement of having abolished tuition fees was hotly contested), free personal care for the elderly and (during the second coalition government) changing the system of elections for Scottish local authorities to the single transferable vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
, a long-standing Liberal Democrat policy.
2007-present
In the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections, the party won one fewer seat than in the two previous Scottish elections: this was the first parliamentary election for 28 years in which the party's parliamentary strength in Scotland was reduced. This experience led to some criticism of the party's election strategy and its leader. Although it was arithmetically possible to form a majority coalition with the Scottish National PartyScottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
and the Scottish Green Party
Scottish Green Party
The Scottish Green Party is a green party in Scotland. It has two MSPs in the devolved Scottish Parliament, Alison Johnstone, representing Lothian, and Patrick Harvie, for Glasgow.-Organisation:...
, the party refused to participate in coalition negotiations because of a disagreement over the SNP's policy of a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
on 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....
, and now sits as an opposition party in the Parliament.
On 2 July 2008, Nicol Stephen
Nicol Stephen
Nicol Ross Stephen, Baron Stephen of Lower Deeside in the City of Aberdeen is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Aberdeen South, and was leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 2005 to 2008...
resigned as the party leader. The former deputy leader Michael Moore MP
Michael Moore (UK politician)
Michael Kevin Moore is a British Liberal Democrat politician, currently the Secretary of State for Scotland in the UK coalition government, and the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk....
served as acting leader of the party until Tavish Scott
Tavish Scott
Tavish Hamilton Scott MSP is a Scottish politician and MSP for Shetland. He was Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 2008 to 2011...
MSP was elected party leader on 26 August 2008, winning 59% of the votes cast in a contest with parliamentary colleagues Ross Finnie
Ross Finnie
Ross Finnie is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician and former Member of the Scottish Parliament. He is a former Minister for the Environment and Rural Development in the Scottish Executive, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the West of Scotland region...
and Mike Rumbles
Mike Rumbles
Mike Rumbles is a former Scottish Liberal Democrat politician, and was MSP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine until defeated at the 2011 election in the successor constituency of Aberdeenshire West.-Background:...
. (See also Scottish Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2008
Scottish Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2008
The 2008 Scottish Liberal Democrats leadership election was an election to choose a new leader of the Liberal Democrats in Scotland, triggered following the resignation of Nicol Stephen for personal reasons...
.)
At the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections, the party lost all its mainland constituencies, retaining only the two constituencies of Orkney and Shetland. It also secured three List MSPs. This was by far the party's worst electoral performance since the re-establishment of a Scottish parliament in 1999.
Policy platform
The Scottish Party decides its policy on state matters independently from the federal party. State matters include not only currently devolved issues but also those reserved mattersReserved matters
In the United Kingdom reserved matters and excepted matters are the areas of government policy where Parliament had kept the power to make laws in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales....
which the party considers should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament, including broadcasting
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
, energy
Energy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
, drugs
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
and abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
. The party also believes that 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...
should exercise greater responsibility on fiscal matters
Fiscal autonomy for Scotland
Full fiscal autonomy, sometimes referred to as devolution max, devo-max or fiscal federalism, has come to be used to describe a situation where instead of receiving a block grant from the UK Exchequer as at present, the Scottish Parliament would receive all taxation levied in Scotland and would...
. A party commission chaired by former Liberal Party leader and Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer Sir David Steel set out the party's proposals on the constitutional issue.
According to its constitution, the party believes in a "fair, free and open society ... in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity". It has traditionally argued for both positive and negative liberties, tolerance of social diversity, decentralisation
Décentralisation
Décentralisation is a french word for both a policy concept in French politics from 1968-1990, and a term employed to describe the results of observations of the evolution of spatial economic and institutional organization of France....
of political authority, including proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
for public elections, internationalism and greater involvement in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. In the 2007 elections it campaigned for reforms to public services
Public services
Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services. The term is associated with a social consensus that certain services should be available to all, regardless of income...
and local taxation, and for more powers for 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...
within a federal
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
Britain.
In December 2007, the party (along with Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives) supported the creation of a new Commission on Scottish Devolution
Commission on Scottish Devolution
The Commission on Scottish Devolution, also referred to as the Calman Commission, Scottish Parliament Commission or Review was established by an opposition Labour Party motion passed by the Scottish Parliament on 6 December 2007, with the support of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats...
, along similar lines to the earlier Scottish Constitutional Convention
Scottish Constitutional Convention
The Scottish Constitutional Convention was an association of Scottish political parties, churches and other civic groups, that developed a framework for a Scottish devolution. It is credited as having paved the way for the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.The Convention was...
, to discuss further powers for the Scottish Parliament. The SNP Government
Government of the 3rd Scottish Parliament
The Government of the 3rd Scottish Parliament was formed after the 2007 elections to the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Government is headed by First Minister Alex Salmond.- First Salmond government :...
had earlier in the same year launched a "National Conversation
National Conversation
The National Conversation was the name given to the Scottish Government's public consultation exercise regarding possible future changes in the power of the devolved Scottish Parliament and the possibility of Scottish independence, a policy objective of the Scottish National Party, who at the time...
" which includes the option of independence for Scotland.
MSPs
| 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:... | Constituency or Region Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions were first used in 1999, in the first general election of the Scottish Parliament , created by the Scotland Act 1998.... | First elected | Spokespersons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willie Rennie Willie Rennie William Cowan Rennie MSP is a Scottish politician and current Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.After college, Rennie spent most of his early career as a Liberal Democrat campaigner and official before working as a public relations consultant in the private sector... |
Mid Scotland and Fife 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... |
2011 | Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats |
| Liam McArthur Liam McArthur Liam McArthur MSP is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician and Member of the Scottish Parliament for Orkney.-Background:He was brought up on the Orkney Island of Sanday... |
Orkney Orkney (Scottish Parliament constituency) Orkney is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the first past the post method of election... |
2007 | education and energy |
| Alison McInnes Alison McInnes Alison McInnes MSP is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the North East Scotland Region... |
North East Scotland | 2007 | health and justice |
| Jim Hume Jim Hume Jim Hume MSP is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the South of Scotland region since 2007.-Background:... |
South of Scotland South of Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region) South of Scotland 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... |
2007 | rural, environment, housing and transport |
| Tavish Scott Tavish Scott Tavish Hamilton Scott MSP is a Scottish politician and MSP for Shetland. He was Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 2008 to 2011... |
Shetland Shetland (Scottish Parliament constituency) Shetland is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the first past the post method of election... |
1999 | business and the economy |
MPs
| Member of Parliament | Constituency Scottish Westminster constituencies Scottish Westminster constituencies were Scottish constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain, normally at the Palace of Westminster, from 1708 to 1801, and have been constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, also at Westminster,... | First elected | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danny Alexander Danny Alexander Daniel Grian Alexander is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has been Chief Secretary to the Treasury since 2010. He has been the Member of Parliament for the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey constituency since 2005.... |
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (UK Parliament constituency) Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.... |
2005 United Kingdom general election, 2005 The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160.... |
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Chief Secretary to the Treasury The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is the third most senior ministerial position in HM Treasury, after the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer . In recent years, the office holder has usually been given a junior position in the British Cabinet... |
| Malcolm Bruce Malcolm Bruce Malcolm Gray Bruce, MP is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Gordon. He has been the chairman of the International Development Select Committee since 2005.-Early life:... |
Gordon Gordon (UK Parliament constituency) Gordon is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , which elects one member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election... |
1983 United Kingdom general election, 1983 The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945... |
|
| Menzies Campbell Menzies Campbell Sir Walter Menzies "Ming" Campbell, CBE, QC, MP is a British Liberal Democrat politician and advocate, and a retired sprinter. He is the Member of Parliament for North East Fife, and was the Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2 March 2006 until 15 October 2007.Campbell held the British record... |
North East Fife North East Fife (UK Parliament constituency) North East Fife is a county constituency in Fife, Scotland, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom currently held by Sir Menzies Campbell, former leader of the Liberal Democrats... |
1987 United Kingdom general election, 1987 The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd... |
|
| Alistair Carmichael Alistair Carmichael Alexander Morrison "Alistair" Carmichael is a Liberal Democrat politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for the Scottish seat of Orkney and Shetland since the 2001 general election.-Early life:... |
Orkney and Shetland Orkney and Shetland (UK Parliament constituency) Orkney and Shetland is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election... |
2001 United Kingdom general election, 2001 The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats... |
|
| Michael Crockart Michael Crockart Michael Bruce 'Mike' Crockart is a Liberal Democrat politician, and the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh West. He was first elected on 6 May 2010 at the 2010 General Election.... |
Edinburgh West Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency) Edinburgh West is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 1885 general election... |
2010 | |
| Charles Kennedy Charles Kennedy Charles Peter Kennedy is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who led the Liberal Democrats from 9 August 1999 until 7 January 2006 and is currently a Member of Parliament for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency.... |
Ross, Skye and Lochaber Ross, Skye and Lochaber (UK Parliament constituency) Ross, Skye and Lochaber is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.... |
1983 United Kingdom general election, 1983 The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945... |
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| Michael Moore Michael Moore (UK politician) Michael Kevin Moore is a British Liberal Democrat politician, currently the Secretary of State for Scotland in the UK coalition government, and the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk.... |
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (UK Parliament constituency) Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk is a constituency of the British House of Commons, located in the south of Scotland within the Scottish Borders council area... |
1997 United Kingdom general election, 1997 The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general... |
Secretary of State for Scotland Secretary of State for Scotland The Secretary of State for Scotland is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Scotland. He heads the Scotland Office , a government department based in London and Edinburgh. The post was created soon after the Union of the Crowns, but was... |
| Alan Reid | Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute (UK Parliament constituency) Argyll and Bute is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created for the 1983 general election, merging most of Argyll with some of Bute and Northern Ayrshire... |
2001 United Kingdom general election, 2001 The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats... |
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| Robert Smith Sir Robert Smith, 3rd Baronet Sir Robert Hill Smith, 3rd Baronet is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician who has been the Member of Parliament for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine since 1997.-Early life:... |
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine (UK Parliament constituency) West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , which elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election... |
1997 United Kingdom general election, 1997 The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general... |
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| Jo Swinson Jo Swinson Jo Swinson is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician and Member of Parliament for East Dunbartonshire constituency, a suburban and semi-rural area to the north of Glasgow in Scotland, and is the Deputy Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats... |
East Dunbartonshire East Dunbartonshire (UK Parliament constituency) East Dunbartonshire is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.... |
2005 United Kingdom general election, 2005 The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160.... |
Deputy Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats |
| John Thurso | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (UK Parliament constituency) Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.-Boundaries:... |
2001 United Kingdom general election, 2001 The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats... |
MEP
| Member of the European Parliament Member of the European Parliament A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,... | Constituency European Parliament constituency Members of the European Parliament are elected by the population of the member states of the European Union , divided into constituencies.... | First elected | Notes |
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| George Lyon | Scotland Scotland (European Parliament constituency) Scotland constitutes a single constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :... |
2009 European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom) The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after... |
See also
- Scottish Liberal Club
- Steel Commission, Moving to Federalism - A New Settlement for Scotland (published in March 2006)
- Politics of ScotlandPolitics of ScotlandThe Politics of Scotland forms a distinctive part of the wider politics of Europe.Theoretically, the United Kingdom is de jure a "unitary state" with one sovereign parliament and government...
- Elections in ScotlandElections in ScotlandScotland has elections to several bodies: the Scottish Parliament, the United Kingdom Parliament, the European Parliament, local councils and community councils.-Scottish Parliament:...
External links
- Official website
- Party archives at the National Library of ScotlandNational Library of ScotlandThe National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. It is based in a collection of buildings in Edinburgh city centre. The headquarters is on George IV Bridge, between the Old Town and the university quarter...
- ASPECT: Access to Scottish Parliamentary Election Candidate Materials, University of StrathclydeUniversity of StrathclydeThe 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...