 | 'George Lyon Lib Dem, Argyll and Bute: Former farmers' leader, now ambitious Lib Dem group convener, not noted for hiding his light under a bushel. Seamless transition from hammering Labour to supporting the coalition made easier by his genuine fear and loathing of Nats.' Murray Ritchie, Robbie Dinwoodie and Frances Horsburgh in the Herald, 15 th December 1999. |  |
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1. George Lyon |  |
| Liberal Democrat | ||
| With the Lib Dem's sole MEP, Elspeth Attwooll about to retire, there is a vacancy at the head of the Lib Dem list which was filled by the embittered ex-Scottish Executive Deputy Minister, George Lyon, one of the four Lib Dem MSPs who lost their seats at the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections. George Lyon was born on the 16 th July 1956 in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute and was educated at Rothesay Academy. Since 1994 he has been a self employed farmer and is a member and ex President of the Scottish branch of the NFU. He is separated from his wife, with whom we have considerable sympathy. Once a sworn enemy of the Labour party, while Lyon was leader of the Lib Dem parliamentary group, he became one of the most sycophantic of 'Labour's Little Helpers'. In March 2001, he was accused of attempting to curry favour with the Executive after attempting to cause splits between east and west coast fishermen. In an astonishing attack Lyon said 'If the fishermen fail to use these technical measures then their credibility with the public will be completely undermined. They will be seen to be more interested in playing politics than saving their industry.' Mike Park, chairman of the Scottish white fish producers' association, said 'A lot of the men came down from Peterhead today to see democracy in action and they are disgusted and disappointed. We always thought that politics was a mire. This has confirmed it.'. Mr Park said that while Lyon was Scottish President of the National Farmers Union, he had been happy to take hundreds of millions of pounds in subsidies and set-aside payments, but when fishermen sought one-off, short-term aid of less than £5 million to aid conservation, Lyon had accused them of playing politics. Lyon appeared to develop a viceral hatred for the SNP and while a member of the Parliamentary Bureau, he was responsible for what was described by the press as a 'petty minded' attempt to block a motion of condolence in the Scottish Parliament to the late Margaret Ewing SNP MSP for Moray, who died of cancer in March 2006. When that failed, Lyon attempted to set a strict time limit on the condolences. In 2007, Lyon became embroiled in an expenses scandal after making by far the highest expenses claim (excluding staff costs) in the whole Scottish Parliament, claiming no less than £67,356. This amount was more than £10,000 in excess of the second highest spending MSP, Jamie Stone, the Lib Dem MSP for Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross. In 2007, Lyon lost his Argyll & Bute seat to the Scottish National Party's Jim Mather, who is currently Minister for Enterprise, Energy & Tourism. Ministerial Posts: June 2005 - May 2007 - Deputy Minister for Finance & Parliamentary Business Recent electoral experience 2007 Scottish Parliamentary election, Argyll & Bute, 9,129 votes (31.71 %) (defeated) 2003 Scottish Parliamentary election, Argyll & Bute, 9,817 votes (35.13 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish Parliamentary election, Argyll & Bute, 11,226 votes (34.89 %) (elected) | ||
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2. Euan Robson | |
| Liberal Democrat | ||
| Euan Robson is another of the four Lib Dem MSPs who lost their seats at the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections. He was born in 1954 in the North of England and educated at Trinity College in Glenalmond, Newcastle University where he graduated with a BA (Hons) in History and Strathclyde University where he obtained an MSc in Political Science. In 1979 he worked as a tecaher at King Edward VI School in Morpeth. He was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Gas Consumers' Northern Council in 1981 and was the Scottish Manager from 1986 until 1999. He is married and is a member of the Church of Scotland. Euan Robson was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999 and was appointed Deputy Minister for Parliament in March 2001 following the resignation of Tavish Scott over the Executive's failure to protect the fishing industry. In May 2003, Robson became Deputy Minister for Education and in October 2004 he was appointed Deputy Minister for Education & Young People. In June 2005 Euan Robson was sacked by Jack McConnell and his portfolio was given to Robert Brown. From 2005 to 2007 he was Lib Dem spokesman for Communities and Health. At the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, he lost his seat to rising Tory star John Lamont, who had secured a 5.9% swing from the LibDems in the Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk Westminster seat in 2005. Ministerial positions March 2001 - May 2003 - Deputy Minister for Parliamentary Business May 2003 - June 2005 - Deputy Minister for Education & Young People Recent electoral experience 2007 Scottish Parliamentary election, Roxburgh & Berwickshire, 8,571 (33.38 %) (elected) 2003 Scottish Parliamentary election, Roxburgh & Berwickshire, 9,280 (41.22 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish Parliamentary election, Roxburgh & Berwickshire, 11,320 votes (40.61 %) (elected) | ||
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3. Cllr Robert Aldridge | |
| Liberal Democrat | ||
| Robert 'Dobbie' Aldridge is a veteran Lib Dem Cllr. He has been an Edinburgh councillor since 1984 and from 1987 to at least 1999, he was leader of the Lib Dem group. He was second on the Lib Dem's European list in 1999 and 2004. He currently represents Drum Brae/Gyle, where he was elected on stage one. But for the large number of defeated Lib Dems MSPs looking for new employment, Cllr Aldridge might have expected to top the 2009 Lib Dem European list with a chance of going to Brussels on the third attempt. Party positions Leader of the Lib Dem group on the City of Edinburgh Council - 1987 - 1999(?) Recent electoral experience 2007 City of Edinburgh Council election, Drum Brae/Gyle, 2,630 first preference votes (25.48 %) (elected) 2003 City of Edinburgh Council election, East Craigs, 1,763 votes (54.51 %) (elected) 1999 City of Edinburgh Council election, East Craigs, 2,028 votes (49.13 %) (elected) 1995 City of Edinburgh Council election, East Craigs, 1,393 votes (45.21 %) (elected) 1992 Edinburgh District Council election, Parkgrove, 1,691 votes (45.23 %) (elected) 1988 Edinburgh District Council election, (elected) 1984 Edinburgh District Council election, (elected) | ||
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4. Patsy Kenton | |
| Liberal Democrat | ||
| Patsy Kenton was born in 1954 and is a Registered General Nurse. She has two sons and works as a Managing Director. She is a Founder Member of the Scottish Council on Ageing and a member of the Scottish Secretariat of the UN Year of the Older Person. Her interests include Small Business, Age Issues, Health, Rural Affairs, riding, theatre, concerts and reading. Recent electoral experience 2007 Scottish Parliament election, Second on Lib Dem South of Scotland list, 28,040 votes (10.14 %) 2005 Westminster Parliament election, Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale, 9,046 votes (20.28 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber, 5,622 votes (16.16 %) 2001 Westminster Parliament election, Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber, 9,420 votes (22.19 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Moray, 3,056 votes (9.10 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Fifth on Lib Dem North East Scotland list, 43,226 votes (21.43 %) | ||
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5. John Barnett | |
| Liberal Democrat | ||
Recent electoral experience | ||
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6. Douglas Herbison | |
| Liberal Democrat | ||
| Veteran Lib Dem candidate Douglas Herbison was born in 1951 and studied economics at the University of London. He is married with one daughter and lives in Glasgow. Mr Herbison's political career can be used to trace the ebb and flow of Liberal and Lib Dem fortunes. He is the current Scottish party treasurer having been a Liberal councillor in Motherwell from 1973 until 1979. He has also stood for Westminster: at Cumbernauld & Kilsyth in 1983, coming second with 19.8 %; and for Cunninghame North in 1987 coming third with 12.1 %, and in 1992, when he fell to fourth place with 6.7 %. In 2001 he contested Banff & Buchan, coming fourth with 9.0 %. In 2003, he contested Glasgow Kelvin in the Scottish parliamentary election, coming third with 15.1 %, and was fourth on the Glasgow list. In 2007 he contested Hamilton North & Bellshill, coming fourth with 6.8 % and was sixthon the Central Scotland list.
He also contested Strathclyde West in the 1984, 1989 and 1994 European elections, coming fourth with 15.1 %, fifth with 3.9 %, and fourth with 7.5 % respectively, while in 2004 he was fifth on the Lib Dem European list.
Recent electoral experience As a Lib Dem candidate 2007 Scottish Parliament election, Hamilton North & Bellshill, 1,726 votes (6.80 %) 2007 Scottish Parliament election, sixth on Lib Dem Central Scotland list, 14,648 votes (5.15 %) 2005 Westminster election, Inverclyde, 6,123 votes (16.96 %) 2004 European election, Fifth on Lib Dem national list, 154,178 votes (13.10 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Glasgow Kelvin, 3,334 votes (15.10 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, fourth on Lib Dem Glasgow list, 14,839 votes (7.64 %) 2001 Westminster election, Banff & Buchan, 2,769 votes (8.99 %) 1994 European election, Strathclyde West, 14,772 votes (7.54 %) 1992 Westminster election, Cunninghame North, 2,864 votes (6.68 %) As a Democrat candidate 1989 European election, Strathclyde West, 8,098 votes (3.85 %) As a Social Democratic Party candidate 1987 Westminster election, Cunninghame North, 5,185 votes (12.08 %) 1984 European election, Strathclyde West, 25,955 votes (15.07 %) 1983 Westminster election, Cumbernauld & Kilsyth, 6,701 votes (19.83 %) As a Liberal candidate 1977 Motherwell District Council election, (elected) 1974 Motherwell District Council election, (elected) 1973 Motherwell Council election, (elected) | ||
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7. Dr Clive Sneddon | |
| Liberal Democrat | ||
| Clive Sneddon teaches French at St Andrews University, and is married with two children. He has been active in Scottish politics since 1975, when he joined the Liberal Party. He was a candidate for Scotland in the 1999 and 2004 European Parliamentary elections, before which he was leader of the former North East Fife District Council for its last eight years to 1996. Clive also fought the Dundee East seat at the last two Scottish Parliamentary elections and at the last Westminster General Election. When he was candidate for Dundee East, Clive said, "I am delighted to have again been chosen to contest Dundee East at next year's Scottish Parliament election. At last year's election in Dundee East, it was the Liberal Democrats who had the largest increase in vote share and the recent by-election result in Dunfermline & West Fife shows that the LibDems are increasing support whilst Labour, Tories and Nationalists are falling behind. I look forward to working hard for the constituency." Council positions 1988 - 1996 Leader of North-East Fife District Council Recent electoral experience 2007 Scottish Parliament election, Dundee East, 1,789 votes (6.66 %) 2007 Scottish Parliament election, eighth on Lib Dem North East Scotland list, 40,934 votes (15.97 %) 2005 Westminster election, Dundee East, 4,498 votes (11.38 %) 2004 European Parliament election, Sixth on Lib Dem national list, 154,178 votes (13.10 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Dundee East, 1,584 votes (6.01 %) 1999 European Parliament election, Fifth on Lib Dem national list, 96,971 votes (9.81 %) North East Fife District Councillor for 8 years | ||
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