David McLetchie
| David McLetchie CBE | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader of the Scottish Conservatives | |
|
In office 6 May 1999 – 31 October 2005 | |
| Succeeded by | Annabel Goldie |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for Lothian (1 of 7 Regional MSPs) | |
|
In office 6 May 2011 – 12 August 2013 | |
| Preceded by | George Foulkes |
| Succeeded by | Cameron Buchanan |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Pentlands | |
|
In office 1 May 2003 – 5 May 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Iain Gray |
| Succeeded by | Gordon MacDonald |
| Majority | 4,525 (13.2%) |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for Lothian (1 of 7 Regional MSPs) | |
|
In office 6 May 1999 – 1 May 2003 | |
| Succeeded by | Mark Ballard |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
6 August 1952 Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Died |
12 August 2013 (aged 61) Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Political party | Scottish Conservative Party |
| Spouse(s) | Sheila |
| Children |
1 (+2 stepchildren) |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh |
| Religion | Presbyterian [1] |
David William McLetchie CBE (6 August 1952 – 12 August 2013) was a Scottish politician, a Scottish Conservative and Unionist Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Lothian electoral region.[2] He was formerly the leader of the Scottish Conservatives between 1999 and 2005, and MSP for the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency (2003–2011).
Born in Edinburgh, McLetchie became leader of the Scottish Conservatives upon the creation of the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, and was the MSP for the Lothians electoral region (1999–2003). In 2003, he was elected as the constituency MSP for the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency. He was forced to resign as Scottish Conservative leader following a scandal over his expense claims in 2005.
He was re-elected in Edinburgh Pentlands in 2007, but lost his seat to the Scottish Nationalists in 2011. Although not re-elected in Pentlands, he was returned to Parliament as a 'list' MSP for the Lothian region.
Education and career
He graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in Law in 1974, having attended Leith Academy and George Heriot's School. McLetchie trained as a solicitor with Shepherd and Wedderburn, before joining Tods Murray where he was assumed a partner. He specialised in tax, trusts, and estate planning.
In 1979 he contested the Edinburgh Central seat for the Scottish Conservatives, but lost to Labour's Robin Cook.
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Leader of the Scottish Conservatives
Since 1999, he was a Member of the Scottish Parliament. He was also Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from 1999 until 2005. Initially he was elected as an additional member for the Lothian region, but at the 2003 election he won the first past the post seat of Edinburgh Pentlands.
Resignation
David McLetchie announced his resignation as Scottish Conservative Party leader on 31 October 2005, after it was revealed he had spent £11,500 of taxpayers' money on taxi fares, more than any other MSP.[3] The problem was not so much the large bill, but that he had used taxis for Conservative party business (as opposed to constituency business).
His successor as leader was Annabel Goldie.
Backbencher
Following his resignation McLetchie had a short spell as a backbencher in the Parliament though he remained a prominent figure, his major successes from this period include his campaigns on free personal care and road pricing.
Post 2007
In May 2007 McLetchie was returned as MSP for his Edinburgh Pentlands constituency with an increased share of the vote and his majority doubled. On his return he was made Conservative Chief Whip and business manager, a role which was set to be more important than ever before given the minority SNP administration. In the Scottish General Election on 5 May 2011, he lost the constituency of Edinburgh Pentlands to Gordon MacDonald of the SNP. He was re-elected, despite this loss, as a list MSP for the Lothian region.
McLetchie was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours.[4] He died of cancer on 12 August 2013.[5]
References
- ↑
- ↑ "Ex-Conservative leader David McLetchie dies – News – Edinburgh Evening News". Edinburghnews.scotsman.com. Retrieved 2013-08-12.
- ↑ "McLetchie resigns as Tory leader". BBC News. BBC. 31 October 2005. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 60534. p. 8. 15 June 2013.
- ↑ "BBC News – Former Scottish Conservative leader David McLetchie dies". BBC Online. 12 August 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
External links
| Scottish Parliament | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Iain Gray |
Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Pentlands 2003–2011 |
Succeeded by Gordon MacDonald |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by None |
Leader of the Scottish Conservatives 1999–2005 |
Succeeded by Annabel Goldie |