The Lord Stephen | |
---|---|
Leader of Scottish Liberal Democrats | |
In office 27 June 2005 – 2 July 2008 |
|
Preceded by | Jim Wallace |
Succeeded by | Tavish Scott |
Deputy First Minister of Scotland | |
In office 27 June 2005 – 16 May 2007 |
|
First Minister | Jack McConnell |
Preceded by | Jim Wallace |
Succeeded by | Nicola Sturgeon |
Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning | |
In office 27 June 2005 – 16 May 2007 |
|
First Minister | Jack McConnell |
Preceded by | Jim Wallace |
Succeeded by | office abolished |
Minister for Transport and Telecommunications | |
In office 21 May 2003 – 27 June 2005 |
|
First Minister | Jack McConnell |
Preceded by | office created |
Succeeded by | Tavish Scott |
Member of the Scottish Parliament for Aberdeen South |
|
In office 6 May 1999 – 22 March 2011 |
|
Preceded by | constituency created |
Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
Majority | 2,731 (9.1%) |
Member of the UK Parliament for Kincardine and Deeside |
|
In office 7 November 1991 – 9 April 1992 |
|
Preceded by | Alick Buchanan-Smith |
Succeeded by | George Kynoch |
Majority | 7,824 (5.9%) |
Personal details | |
Born |
Aberdeen, Scotland |
23 March 1960
Nationality | Scottish |
Political party | Scottish Liberal Democrats |
Spouse(s) | Caris Doig (Lady Stephen) |
Children | The Honourable Macleod, The Honourable Mirrhyn, The Honourable Mharni and The Honourable Drummond |
Alma mater | University of Aberdeen, University of Edinburgh |
Nicol Ross Stephen, Baron Stephen (born 23 March 1960) is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Aberdeen South, and was leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 2005 to 2008. He is a former Deputy First Minister of Scotland and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning.
He became an MSP in the first elections to the Scottish Parliament in 1999. Following the coalition agreement between the Scottish Liberal Democrats and Labour in the Scottish Parliament, he became Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning. Later in the same parliamentary term he became Deputy Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs, and then for Education and Young People. Following the 2003 Scottish Parliament election, he joined the Scottish Executive cabinet as Minister for Transport. In 2005, following the resignation of his predecessor Jim Wallace, he was elected leader of the party and also became Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning. He led his party into the 2007 election, where they won 16 seats (down one on 2003). He resigned as party leader on 2 July 2008, triggering a leadership election. In 2011 he joined the House of Lords. He became a patron of The Aberdeen Law Project in 2011.