Richard Simpson (Scottish politician)

Last updated

Richard Simpson
OBE
Richard Simpson (politician).jpg
Simpson in 2011
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Mid Scotland and Fife
(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
In office
3 May 2007 –24 March 2016

Simpson was educated at Perth Academy, Trinity College Glenalmond, and the University of Edinburgh. [1]

A GP and psychiatrist prior to his election, Simpson is a fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and a fellow 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.

Scottish Parliament

Simpson was elected in 1999 as the first MSP for Ochil. In his first term, Simpson was a member of the Finance Committee (17 June 1999 – 28 November 2001), the Standards Committee (18 October 1999 – 10 November 1999) and a member of the Health and Community Care Committee (17 June 1999 – 28 November 2001). As appointed Reporter to the Health and Community Care Committee, he produced three reports on the Stobhill Medium Secure Unit consultation process by Greater Glasgow Health Board, influenza vaccination in Scotland and organ donation. He was made the deputy Justice minister when Jack McConnell became First Minister in 2001. As a minister, Simpson launched the Scotland's People genealogy web page in 2002. [2] He lost his seat at the 2003 election.

Simpson was returned to the Scottish Parliament in 2007 as third on the Labour regional list for Mid Scotland and Fife. He was the Deputy Party Spokesperson on Health for the Labour Party. 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. In 2007, along with other opposition MSPs, he raised concerns about plans for local licensing boards to ban under 21 alcohol sales, stating that this would discriminate against young people who were responsible drinkers. [3]

At the election on 5 May 2011, he was again returned to Holyrood as a regional MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife. Simpson's campaigns in 2011 included 'Save Waterwatch', [4] the undergrounding of the electricity line from Beauly to Denny [5] and stop the running of night trains on the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway line. [6] [7] [8]

Simpson was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to Scottish politics and public life. [9]

Related Research Articles

<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">Stewart Stevenson</span> Scottish politician (born 1946)

James Alexander Stewart Stevenson is a Scottish former politician who served as Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change from 2007 to 2010 and Minister for Environment and Climate Change from 2011 to 2012. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), he was Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, formerly Banff and Buchan, from 2001 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annabelle Ewing</span> Scottish National Party politician (born 1960)

Annabelle Janet Ewing is a Scottish politician and lawyer who has served as Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, alongside Liam McArthur, since May 2021. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Cowdenbeath constituency since 2016, having previously been an MSP for the Mid Scotland and Fife region from 2011 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Reid (Scottish politician)</span> Former Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament (2003–2007)

Sir George Newlands Reid is a Scottish politician and journalist who served as Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament from 2003 to 2007. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), he was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Mid Scotland and Fife region from 1999 to 2003 and then for the Ochil constituency from 2003 to 2007. Reid was Member of Parliament (MP) for Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire from February 1974 to 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Crawford</span> Scottish politician (born 1955)

Robert Hardie Bruce Crawford is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who served as Cabinet Secretary for Parliamentary Business and Government Strategy from 2011 to 2012, having held the junior ministerial position of Minister for Parliamentary Business from 2007 to 2011. Crawford served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Stirling from 2007 to 2021, having previously represented the Mid Scotland and Fife region 1999–2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Baker (Scottish politician)</span> Scottish politician (born 1974)

Richard James Baker is a Scottish Labour politician and former member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the North East Scotland region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid Scotland and Fife (Scottish Parliament electoral region)</span> 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 (MSPs). Thus it elects a total of 16 MSPs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackie Baillie</span> Scottish Labour politician

Dame Jacqueline Marie Baillie is a politician who has served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party since 2020. She has been Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Dumbarton constituency since 1999. She also served as acting Leader of the Scottish Labour Party in 2017 and again in 2021.

Scott Barrie is a Scottish Labour Party politician and former social worker. He was the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Dunfermline West from 1999 to 2007, where he was a member of the Communities Committees of the Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon Banks (politician)</span> British Labour Party politician

Gordon Raymond Banks is a British Labour politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ochil and South Perthshire from 2005 to 2015.

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

Ochil was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality method of election. Also, it was one of nine constituencies in the Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region, which elected seven additional members, in addition to the nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elaine Smith (Scottish politician)</span> Scottish Labour politician

Elaine Agnes Smith is a former Scottish Labour politician who served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Central Scotland region from 2016 until she stood down at the 2021 election. She was previously MSP for the Coatbridge and Chryston constituency from 1999 until 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Scottish Parliament election</span> Parliamentary election held in Scotland

The 2011 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament.

<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">Claire Baker</span> Scottish Labour politician

Claire Josephine Baker is a Scottish Labour politician who has served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Mid Scotland and Fife region since 2007.

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

Clackmannanshire and Dunblane is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering part of the Stirling council area and the entirety of Clackmannanshire. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality method of election. It is one of nine constituencies in the Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole. Created in 2011, the constituency covers much of the area previously in the abolished Ochil constituency.

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

Jim Eadie is a Scottish politician who was the Scottish National Party (SNP) Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Edinburgh Southern constituency 2011–16. In 2021, he left the SNP and joined the Alba Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Scottish Parliament election</span> Parliamentary election held in Scotland

The 2016 Scottish parliament election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2016 to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the fifth election held since the devolved parliament was established in 1999. It was the first parliamentary election in Scotland in which 16 and 17 year olds were eligible to vote, under the provisions of the Scottish Elections Act. It was also the first time the three largest parties were led by women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Scottish Labour leadership election</span>

The 2011 Scottish Labour Party leadership election was an internal party election to choose a new leader of the Scottish Labour Party. The election followed the announcement by Iain Gray that he would stand down as leader in the autumn of 2011 following the party's heavy defeat to the Scottish National Party in May's Scottish Parliament general election. Gray won the previous contest in September 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenny Gilruth</span> Scottish Education & Skills Secretary

Jennifer Madeleine Gilruth is a Scottish politician who has served as the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills since 2023. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Mid Fife and Glenrothes since 2016.

References

  1. ↑ "Personal Information: Richard Simpson". Scottish Parliament website. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  2. ↑ General Register Office for Scotland – Simpson launches new website for genealogy enthusiasts Archived 17 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine . Gro-scotland.gov.uk. Retrieved on 16 February 2011.
  3. ↑ BBC News – Alcohol age rise plan rejected. Bbc.co.uk (29 September 2010). Retrieved on 16 February 2011.
  4. ↑ News. Save Waterwatch. Retrieved on 18 March 2011.
  5. ↑ News Archived 6 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine . Stirling Before Pylons. Retrieved on 16 February 2011.
  6. ↑ Night freight trains were always planned / News / Roundup / Articles / Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser. Alloaadvertiser.com (2 February 2011). Retrieved on 16 February 2011.
  7. ↑ Inquiry plea after night-train noise breaks health guideline – Herald Scotland | News | Transport & Environment. Herald Scotland (17 August 2010). Retrieved on 16 February 2011.
  8. ↑ Broomridge Community Council – The Trains Archived 25 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine . Broomridgecommunitycouncil.org. Retrieved on 16 February 2011.
  9. ↑ "No. 61962". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 2017. p. B14.
Scottish Parliament
New constituency Member of the Scottish Parliament for Ochil
1999–2003 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Deputy Minister for Justice
2001–2002		Succeeded by
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.