Ayr by-election 2000

'Of course I am extremely sad that events have come to this but I can no longer support the increasingly right-wing policies of the Conservative party.' Shaun Woodward, MP for Whitney, upon defecting from Tory to Labour, 18 th December 1999.

Farewell to the backbencher who found transition a little too hard

By David Steele in the Herald

From the very outset it had been obvious that the role of a back bencher did not suit a politician like Welsh who had been used to leading from the front and being closely involved in the decision making process.

In a prescient entry in the MSPs' end of term report carried in The Herald last week it was written: 'Ian Welsh ... clearly finding the transition to 'humble' backbencher a bit hard.' Little did we know just how hard.

He has been a highly motivated member of the Labour Party since his teens and was in the forefront of local politics in Ayrshire as leader first of the opposition then the administration on Kyle & Carrick District Council. He went on, in April 1996, to lead the new South Ayrshire unitary authority, a role he stepped down from in May to join the Scottish Parliament.

In is something about which he has never complained - either publicly or in private - but there were those who felt that the 45-year-old former teacher whose loyalty, drive and intellect were never in question was destined for a big job in the new executive.

Instead he has been consigned to cooling his heels on the back benches and making the occasional contribution to the couple of committees on which he sits.

As one seasoned political observer put it: 'When I saw Ian Welsh sitting up the back of the class he had the look of a man who was asking 'what on earth am I doing here?'

Mr Welsh spent most of yesterday fielding media calls about his departure, but took time to talk first to the chairman of Kilmarnock Football Club, Bill Costley, about his future as the club's chief executive.

It is widely expected that, when he finally leaves Holyrood, probably when the arrangements for what will be a closely-contested by-election have been completed early in the New Year, he will return full time to the job which he cherished, and from which he was on 'public service leave'.

Mr Welsh has lived all of his life in Ayrshire and now lives in Prestwick with his lawyer wife Elizabeth, and their two sons, Sean and Stuart. The only significance in mentioning that their younger boy is handicapped is to help explain his reference to 'caring responsibilities ... becoming more problematic that I had hoped or expected.'

While he praised the 'family-friendly' nature of the Parliament, with its daytime meetings and weekends off, he said that it is still putting burdens on a family with whom he wants to spend more time.

Ian Welsh is an honours graduate in English and History from Glasgow University and held a variety of teaching posts, latterly as deputy head of Auchinleck Academy.

He was closely involved in the regeneration of Prestwick airport, going on to be a non-executive director then joining the board as director of human resources and public affairs.

Then came the job of his dreams, taking charge of the day-to-day running of the club he loves and with which he had a short career as a player. Only the lure of the Scottish Parliament, which he still believes will prove to be 'a huge catalyst for change in Scottish society' took him away from Rugby Park.

The lure it seems, was not strong enough to last and has worn off for Ian Welsh, who hopes to return at some time to a role in local politics.

21 st December 1999