Brian Monteith

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Brian Monteith, born on January 8, 1958 is an Independent Member of the Scottish Parliament. Educated at Portobello High School and Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, he worked in public relations before his election to the Scottish Parliament as a Scottish Conservative and Unionist member for Mid Scotland and Fife at the 1999 election.

He was the leader of the unsuccessful Think Twice "No-No" campaign in the Scotland referendum, 1997.

He developed a reputation as a Thatcherite right winger within the Conservative group in the Scottish Parliament. He was reportedly in favour of giving more financial powers to the Scottish Parliament and wanted to move his party in a different direction ideologically and strategically. In July, 2005 he resigned as his party's Finance Spokesperson, saying that he wanted the freedom to discuss policy matters that "cut across other policy portfolios".

He then subsequently resigned from the party altogether when it came to light that he had been briefing the media about the Scottish Conservative leader, David McLetchie and his ongoing problems surrounding coverage of alleged erroneous expenses claims from the public purse.

In 2006 he announced he would not stand again as an MSP, saying he "would rather return to commerce than be a one-man band swimming against the treacly tide of collectivism in the Scottish Parliament". ^[1]

He works with numerous charities and is the Honorary President of English-Speaking Union Scotland.

He is also well known as a supporter of Hibernian FC with his two sons being talented enough at the game to be on the books of Livingston F.C..