Russell Findlay

Last updated

(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
Russell Findlay
MSP
Official portrait of Russell Findlay MSP (cropped).jpg
Official portrait, 2021
Leader of the Opposition in the Scottish Parliament
Incumbent
Assumed office
27 September 2024
Chair
Preceded by Douglas Ross
Incumbent
Assumed office
6 May 2021
Personal details
Born1972or1973(age 51–52) [1]
Political party Scottish Conservatives

Russell Findlay is a Scottish politician and journalist who has served as Leader of the Opposition in the Scottish Parliament as well as Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party since September 2024. [2] He has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the West Scotland region since 2021. [3] A member of the Scottish Conservatives, he served as the party's director of communications. [4]

Contents

Journalist career

Findlay worked as a journalist for Scottish Television, the Scottish Sun and Sunday Mail . His investigation into the disappearance of Margaret Fleming was used to help prosecute her killers. He has written three books, one of which is about his acid attack, and co-authored a fourth. [1]

Acid attack

In December 2015, while working as a journalist for The Sun reporting on gangs in Glasgow, he was subjected to a doorstep acid attack. William Burns disguised himself as a postal worker and threw sulfuric acid on Findlay before attacking with a knife. Findlay managed to hold Burns down long enough for the police to arrive and arrest him. Burns was sentenced to a ten-year jail term with five years of post-release supervision. Ten months before the attack, Gordon Smart, editor of The Sun, received a call that included threats against Findlay, which Smart did not reveal until days after the attack. Findlay initially returned to work for The Sun but later took sick leave and left with an agreement from his employer. [5]

Political career

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Findlay was selected as the Scottish Conservatives candidate for the Paisley constituency in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. Failing to win the seat and coming third, he was elected to the party list as an additional member for the West Scotland region.

On 12 January 2022, Findlay called for Boris Johnson to resign as Conservative party leader and Prime Minister over the Westminster lockdown parties controversy along with a majority of Scottish Conservative MSPs. [6]

On 27 December 2022, Findlay posted on Twitter a picture of himself holding a merkin, with a group of people in a pub, including Elaine Miller, who had flashed the Scottish Parliament and then those in the gallery, from the gallery, following the conclusion of the last debate on the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. [7] In the post, he criticised the police's decision to investigate Miller over her self-declared indecency.

Leader of the Scottish Conservatives

On 10 June 2024, Douglas Ross announced his intention to resign as leader of the Scottish Conservatives upon the election of his succsessor. [8] Findlay, who had been considered a frontrunner for the position, announced his candidacy for leader on 22 July. [9] Facing fellow MSPs Murdo Fraser and Meghan Gallacher, [10] Findlay received 52% of MSP endorsements and was elected leader with 61.7% of the first-preference vote among party members. [11] He assumed leadership of the party and was appointed Leader of the Opposition on 27 September. He appointed his Shadow Cabinet on 8 October. [12]

Political views

Findlay openly supported the bid of Liz Truss to become the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the 2022 leadership election. [13]

Personal life

He has a daughter. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Macintosh</span> Scottish Independent politician

Kenneth Donald Macintosh is a Scottish politician who served as the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament from 2016 to 2021. Elected as a member of Scottish Labour, he suspended his party membership on becoming Presiding Officer. Macintosh was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) from 1999 to 2021, representing the Eastwood constituency from 1999 to 2016, and then the West Scotland region from 2016 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish Conservatives</span> Part of the British Conservative Party

The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party often known colloquially as the Scottish Tories is part of the UK Conservative Party active in Scotland. It currently holds 5 of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons, 31 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, and comprises 209 of Scotland's 1,227 local councillors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murdo Fraser</span> Scottish Conservative politician

Murdo MacKenzie Fraser is a Scottish politician who served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from 2005 to 2011. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Mid Scotland and Fife region since 2001. As of 2024, he serves as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Business, Economic Growth and Tourism, shadowing Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Lamont</span> Scottish politician (born 1976)

John Robert Lamont is a Scottish Conservative Party politician and solicitor who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk since 2017, and was Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland from July to November 2024. Lamont previously served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, later Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire after boundary changes, from 2007 to 2017. He served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland between October 2022 to July 2024.

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

James Dornan is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who is Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Cathcart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Findlay</span> Scottish Labour politician

Neil Findlay is a Scottish politician who was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Lothian from 2011 to 2021. A member of Scottish Labour, he was previously a councillor in West Lothian from 2003 to 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annie Wells (politician)</span> Scottish Conservative politician

Carol Ann "Annie" Wells is a British politician of the Scottish Conservatives, who served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party to Jackson Carlaw in 2020. She has served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow region since 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas Ross (Scottish politician)</span> Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party

Douglas Gordon Ross is a Scottish politician who served as Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from 2020 to 2024 and as Leader of the Opposition in the Scottish Parliament from 2021 to 2024. He served as Member of the UK Parliament (MP) for Moray from 2017 to 2024. Ross currently serves as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Highlands and Islands, having been elected as a regional list MSP in 2021. He was previously MSP for the region from 2016 to 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Lochiel</span> Scottish politician (born 1976)

Donald Andrew John Cameron of Lochiel, Baron Cameron of Lochiel is a Scottish Conservative politician and life peer who served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland from February to July 2024. He was elected a member of the Scottish Parliament for the electoral region of the Highlands and Islands in 2016, serving in various roles in the Conservative shadow cabinet before his appointment to the House of Lords in 2024. Cameron succeeded his father as the 28th Lochiel, the hereditary chief of Clan Cameron, in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Greene</span> Scottish Conservative politician

Jamie Gillan Greene is a Scottish politician who is a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the West Scotland region from 2016. He is a member of the Scottish Conservatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finlay Carson</span> Scottish Conservative politician

Finlay Hamilton Carson is a Scottish Conservative Party politician serving as Convener of the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee since 2021. He has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Galloway and West Dumfries since 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Ballantyne</span> British Reform UK politician

Michelle Lorraine Ballantyne is a British property developer, former politician and nurse who served as Leader of Reform UK Scotland from January 2021 to February 2022. She was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the South Scotland region from 2017 to 2021, having been elected for the Scottish Conservatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Kerr</span> Scottish Conservative politician

Stephen Charles Kerr is a Scottish Conservative & Unionist politician, currently serving as a Member of the Scottish Parliament for Central Scotland Region since 2021. From 2021 to 2022, Kerr served as the Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee. Prior to his election to Holyrood, Kerr was the Member of Parliament for Stirling from 2017 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">February 2020 Scottish Conservatives leadership election</span> 1–13 February 2020 election of the leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

The February 2020 Scottish Conservative Party leadership election was the fourth internal party election to elect the next leader of the Scottish Conservatives, part of the British Conservative Party and the second-largest political party in the devolved Scottish Parliament. Ruth Davidson, who won the previous leadership election in 2011, resigned on 29 August 2019. Two candidates contested the election: Jackson Carlaw MSP, who served as the Scottish Conservatives' interim leader, and Michelle Ballantyne MSP. Carlaw was seen as the favourite in the contest, and won the endorsement of most of the party's MSPs and MPs. Carlaw won the election on 14 February 2020, winning more than three-quarters of the votes of party members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leader of the Opposition (Scotland)</span> Leader of the largest opposition party in Scotland

In the Scottish Parliament, the Leader of the Opposition is an unofficial title often used to describe the leader of the largest political party in the Scottish Parliament that is not in government. This leader has also been referred to as the Shadow First Minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6th Scottish Parliament</span> Members of the 6th Scottish Parliament

The 6th Scottish Parliament was elected at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. It was opened with the Escort to the Crown of Scotland Parade and Speech from the Throne on 2 October 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meghan Gallacher</span> Scottish Conservative politician

Meghan Gallacher is a British politician who has served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservatives from 2022 to 2024. She has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Central Scotland region since 2021. Gallacher was a councillor for the Motherwell West ward from 2017 to 2022, serving as the Conservatives party's group leader in the North Lanarkshire Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas Lumsden</span> Scottish Conservative politician

Douglas Aaron Lumsden is a Scottish Conservative Party politician. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the North East Scotland region since the election in May 2021. He was previously the co-leader of Aberdeen City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Eagle</span> Scottish politician

Tim Eagle is a Scottish Conservative politician, serving as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Highlands and Islands region since 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Scottish Conservatives leadership election</span>

The 2024 Scottish Conservatives leadership election took place on 27 September 2024 after Douglas Ross announced his resignation on 10 June. Russell Findlay won the election and became Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party.

References

  1. 1 2 Houston, Stephen (7 January 2021). "Acid attack hack fights for seat in Scottish Parliament – in the town where his assailant lived". Daily Record. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  2. ↑ Belam, Martin (27 September 2024). "Russell Findlay wins Scottish Conservative leadership election – UK politics live". the Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  3. ↑ "Scottish Election 2021: List MSPs confirmed for West Scotland". Helensburgh Advertiser. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  4. ↑ Murden, Terry (22 September 2020). "Ex-journalist Findlay to head Ross comms team". Daily Business. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  5. 1 2 Greenslade, Roy (25 February 2018). "Bravery isn't enough. An acid attack shows why reporters need good bosses". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Ltd. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  6. ↑ Green, Chris [@ChrisGreenNews] (12 January 2022). "Majority of Scottish Tories' 31 MSPs at Holyrood now openly calling for the Prime Minister to resign" (Tweet). Retrieved 12 January 2022– via Twitter.
  7. ↑ Morrison, Hamish (27 December 2022). "Holyrood 'flasher' poses with Tory Russell Findlay holding pubic wig". The National . Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  8. ↑ "Douglas Ross to resign as leader of Scottish Conservatives". BBC News. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  9. ↑ Quinn, Andrew (22 July 2024). "Scottish Tory leadership frontrunner Russell Findlay declares candidacy". Daily Record. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  10. ↑ "Who is in the running for the Scottish Tory leadership?". BBC News. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  11. ↑ "Scottish Conservative leadership election". BBC News. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  12. ↑ "Russell Findlay Names New Top Team - Scottish Conservatives". www.scottishconservatives.com. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  13. ↑ Hutcheon, Paul; Quinn, Andrew (20 July 2024). "Scottish Tory leadership frontrunner Russell Findlay backed Liz Truss to be PM". Daily Record. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
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.