Campbell Martin

Last updated

Campbell Martin
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for West of Scotland
(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
In office
1 May 2003 –2 April 2007
Personal details
Born (1960-03-10) 10 March 1960 (age 64)
Political party Scottish National Party
Other political
affiliations		 Independent (July 2004 – April 2007)

Campbell Martin (born 10 March 1960) is a Scottish journalist and former politician.

Contents

At the 2003 Scottish Parliament election, he was elected on the Scottish National Party (SNP) list as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the West of Scotland. He was expelled from the SNP in 2004, and sat as an independent MSP until the 2007 election, when he stood in the Cunninghame North constituency but not the West of Scotland region. He was not re-elected.

Political career

Martin previously worked for Kay Ullrich, a SNP MSP. When she indicated she would stand down at the 2003 election, Martin was selected to be the candidate for Cunninghame North as well as being placed at the top of the SNP's list. [1] At the election, he was unsuccessful in the constituency vote, [2] however, was elected as a regional member for the West of Scotland. [3]

He was a prominent backer of Dr Bill Wilson who stood against John Swinney in the SNP leadership contest in 2003. [4] He has been critical of the direction of the SNP since becoming an MSP, believing they are being dragged into the political centre away from their traditional left-of-centre position. He also believes the party is not vociferous enough in its advocation of Scottish independence.

He was suspended from the Scottish National Party on 25 April 2004 after making repeated public criticism of John Swinney, [5] and was expelled from the SNP on 10 July 2004, soon after Swinney had resigned. [6]

After becoming an Independent MSP, Campbell Martin played a prominent role in fighting a number of decisions taken by Labour-led North Ayrshire Council. He has also continued his opposition to what he considers to be the centre-right re-positioning of the SNP and its advocacy of a 'culture of independence' rather than national independence.

Campbell Martin stood as an Independent candidate in the Cunninghame North constituency at the May 2007 Scottish Parliament Election, securing 4,423 votes (14.6%), but was not re-elected. [7]

In August 2011 he joined the Scottish Socialist Party, [8] and on 1 October 2011 he spoke at an SSP fringe meeting in Glasgow following the STUC anti-cuts demonstration. He participated as a delegate at the SSP national conference in March 2012. He was the SSP candidate for the Ardrossan and Arran ward on North Ayrshire Council in May 2012, but he was not elected. [9] [10]

He has claimed that the SNP has been infiltrated by MI5 agents. Writing in pro-independence website BarrheadBoy, Martin said: "The SNP is completely compromised. It has been captured and controlled by the British state. The difference between those early days of the Scottish parliament and today, is that the British state assets in the SNP have, over the intervening years, risen through the ranks and now hold senior positions that have allowed them to influence party policies and direction, such as adopting a lack of urgency in delivering independence." He justified his claim by pointing out that intelligence services had previously infiltrated organisations like the Irish Republican Army and the National Union of Minerworkers. [11]

Journalism

Between 2007 and 2015, Campbell Martin edited the3towns.com [12] an online local newspaper covering the three North Ayrshire towns of Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston. He is now the Creative Director of MacAulay Gibson Productions, an independent production company producing factual television programmes and business promos. [13] He was involved in the production of The Only Game in Town, a documentary that looked at the procurement process for the North Ayrshire Schools Public Private Partnership project. [14]

While still producing pro-independence articles for mainly online publications, Campbell Martin is no longer a member of a political party.

Books

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Ayrshire</span> Council area of Scotland

North Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. The council area borders Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire to the northeast, and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the east and south respectively. The local authority is North Ayrshire Council, formed in 1996 with the same boundaries as the district of Cunninghame which existed from 1975 to 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Swinney</span> Deputy First Minister of Scotland from 2014 to 2023

John Ramsay Swinney is a Scottish politician who served as Deputy First Minister of Scotland from 2014 to 2023. He held various Scottish Cabinet roles under First Ministers Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon from 2007 to 2023. Swinney has served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Perthshire North since 2011, having previously represented North Tayside from 1999 to 2011. He was the Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from 2000 to 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 Scottish Parliament election</span> Parliamentary election held in Scotland

The 2003 Scottish Parliament election was the second election of members to the Scottish Parliament. It was held on 1 May 2003 and it brought no change in terms of control of the Scottish Executive. Jack McConnell, the Labour Party MSP, remained in office as First Minister for a second term and the Executive continued as a Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition. As of 2023, it remains the last Scottish Parliament election victory for the Scottish Labour Party, and the last time the Scottish National Party lost a Holyrood election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 Scottish Parliament election</span> Parliamentary election held in Scotland

The first election to the devolved Scottish Parliament, to fill 129 seats, took place on 6 May 1999. Following the election, the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats formed the Scottish Executive, with Labour Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) Donald Dewar becoming First Minister.

Rosemary Byrne is a Scottish politician who served as co-convenor of Solidarity from 2006 to 2019.

Dr William Laurence Wilson is a former Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. He was a regional list Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the West of Scotland region from 2007 to 2011. He left the SNP in 2017 and now serves as co-convener of the Edinburgh Branch of the Scottish Green Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gil Paterson</span> Scottish politician (born 1942)

Gilbert Martin Paterson is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician, who served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Clydebank and Milngavie, from 2011 to 2021. Previously he had been an MSP for the West of Scotland region, having been elected on 3 May 2007. From 1999 to 2003 he was an MSP for Central Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Ayrshire and Arran (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 2005 onwards

North Ayrshire and Arran is a constituency of the British House of Commons, located in the south-west of Scotland within the North Ayrshire council area. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) at least once every five years using the first-past-the-post voting system of voting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ayr (Scottish Parliament constituency)</span> Constituency of the Scottish Parliament

Ayr is a burgh constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering the town of Ayr in the council area of South Ayrshire. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) via the plurality electoral system. It is also one of nine constituencies in the South Scotland electoral region which elects seven additional members to the Scottish Parliament via a proportional electoral system known as the Additional Members System which allows for greater accuracy in representation for the region as a whole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth Gibson (Scottish politician)</span> Scottish National Party politician

Kenneth James Gibson is a Scottish politician serving as the Convenor of the Finance and Public Administration Committee since 2021. A member Scottish National Party (SNP), he has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Cunninghame North since 2007, having previously represented the Glasgow electoral region from 1999 to 2003.

Irene Hamilton-Oldfather is a Scottish Labour Party politician. She was the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Cunninghame South constituency from 1999 until 2011, when she was defeated by the SNP's Margaret Burgess.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cunninghame North (Scottish Parliament constituency)</span> Region or constituency of the Scottish Parliament

Cunninghame North is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering part of the council area of North Ayrshire. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post method of election. It is also one of ten constituencies in the West Scotland electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the ten constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cunninghame South (Scottish Parliament constituency)</span> Region or constituency of the Scottish Parliament

Cunninghame South is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering part of the council area of North Ayrshire. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post method of election, and is one of ten constituencies in the West Scotland electoral region. The regions elects seven additional members, in addition to the ten constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

In Scotland, the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) is a left-wing political party. The party was formed in 1998 from an alliance of left-wing organisations in Scotland. In 1999, it saw its first MSP returned to Holyrood, with five more MSPs elected in 2003. It lost all MSPs in the 2007 elections and has lacked representation in the Scottish Parliament ever since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Scottish Parliament election</span> Parliamentary election held in Scotland

The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999. Local elections in Scotland fell on the same day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Brown (Scottish politician)</span> Depute Leader of the Scottish National Party

Keith James Brown is a Scottish politician serving as Depute Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since 2018. He is a former Royal Marines commando and has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) since 2007, first representing the Ochil constituency from 2007 to 2011, then the Clackmannanshire and Dunblane constituency since 2011. Brown previously served in the Scottish Cabinet, most recently as Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans from 2021 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chic Brodie (politician)</span> Scottish politician (1944–2022)

Charles Gilchrist Brodie, better known as Chic Brodie, was a Scottish politician. He served as a Scottish National Party (SNP) Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the South Scotland region from 2011 until 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Burgess</span> Scottish politician

Margaret Jean Burgess is a former Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. She was the Minister for Housing and Welfare from 2012 to 2016, and the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Cunninghame South constituency from 2011 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Scottish National Party leadership election</span> Scottish National Party (SNP) leadership election

The 2004 Scottish National Party leadership election was held following the resignation of John Swinney as leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP). Nominations opened on 22 June, with three candidates nominated, and voting began on 13 August. This was the first election where all party members could vote. The results were announced on 3 September; Alex Salmond defeated Roseanna Cunningham and Michael Russell, with more than 75% of votes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Maguire</span> Scottish National Party politician

Ruth Bernadette Maguire is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Cunninghame South since the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.

References

  1. ↑ "Swinney earns the result he wanted The SNP regional selection lists show winners and losers – and the demise of their leader's opponents". The Herald. 19 June 2002. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  2. ↑ "Vote 2003: constituency: Cunninghame North". BBC News. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  3. ↑ "Vote 2003: region: West of Scotland". BBC News. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  4. ↑ "Swinney wins first reform battle". BBC News. 23 April 2004. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  5. ↑ "Party suspends MSP for six months". BBC News. 8 May 2004. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  6. ↑ "Nationalists throw out rebel MSP". BBC News. 10 July 2004. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  7. ↑ "Scottish elections 2007 > Cunninghame North". BBC News. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  8. ↑ Colin Fox's blog
  9. ↑ "First SSP candidates selected for North Ayrshire Council election". Irvine Times. 13 December 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  10. ↑ "Live Elections May 2012. Declaration of Results. Ward 05 – Ardrossan and Arran" (PDF). north-ayrshire.cmis.uk.com. North Ayrshire council. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  11. ↑ Walker, James (16 August 2023). "British agents have infiltrated SNP government and 'influence' policy, ex-MSP claims" . The National.
  12. ↑ "www.the3towns.com - Home". 17 February 2008. Archived from the original on 17 February 2008.
  13. ↑ http://www.macaulaygibson.com
  14. ↑ "Holyrood call to investigate North Ayrshire school building 'criminality'". Irvine Times. 17 January 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  15. ↑ "Was It Something I Said?: Amazon.co.uk: Martin, Campbell: 9798756089820: Books". www.amazon.co.uk.
  16. ↑ "OUTSPOKEN: Part One: Amazon.co.uk: Martin, Campbell: 9798362558017: Books". www.amazon.co.uk.
  17. ↑ "OUTSPOKEN: Part Two: Amazon.co.uk: Martin, Campbell: 9798362567903: Books". www.amazon.co.uk.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.