Scottish Politician of the Year

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Scottish Politician of the Year is an annual award established in 1999. It is currently sponsored by The Herald newspaper and the alcoholic beverage company Diageo.

Not all of the subsidiary awards are handed out every year.

The awards ceremony has been held at the Royal Museum and the Prestonfield House Hotel in Edinburgh. At the 2004 ceremony - held at the Prestonfield - former Labour MSP and life peer Mike Watson, set fire to a curtain, and was subsequently convicted of wilful fire raising. ^[1]

Contents 1 Winners 1.1 Main award: Scottish Politician of the Year 1.2 Best Scot at Westminster 1.3 Committee/Committee Member(s) of the Year 1.4 Debater of the Year, since 2001 renamed Donald Dewar Debater of the Year 1.5 Free Spirit/Maverick of the Year 1.6 Johnnie Walker Award for Progress/One to Watch 1.7 Lifetime Achievement Award/Outstanding Political Achievement 1.8 Public Campaign/Campaigner of the Year 1.9 Scottish Euro MP of the Year 1.10 Election Performance of the Year (2003 only) 1.11 Front Bencher of the Year (1999 only) 1.12 Back Bencher of the Year (1999 only) 2 Reference

[edit] Winners

[edit] Main award: Scottish Politician of the Year

• 2006: Andy Kerr MSP, Labour, Minister for Health and Community Care
• 2005: George Reid MSP, Scottish National Party, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament
• 2004: Margaret Curran MSP, Labour, Minister for Communities
• 2003: George Reid MSP, Scottish National Party, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament
• 2002: Malcolm Chisholm MSP, Labour, Minister for Health and Community Care
• 2001: Jack McConnell MSP, Labour, First Minister of Scotland
• 2000: Jim Wallace MSP, MP, Liberal Democrats, Deputy First Minister of Scotland
• 1999: Donald Dewar MSP, MP, Labour, First Minister of Scotland

[edit] Best Scot at Westminster

• 2006: Angus MacNeil MP, Scottish National Party
• 2005: Des Browne MP, Labour
• 2004: Sir Menzies Campbell MP, Liberal Democrats
• 2003: Robin Cook MP, Labour
• 2002: Alistair Darling MP, Labour
• 2001: Dr John Reid MP, Labour
• 2000: Dr Gordon Brown MP, Labour
• 1999: Dr Gordon Brown MP, Labour

[edit] Committee/Committee Member(s) of the Year

• 2006: Justice 1 Committee
• 2005: Finance Committee
• 2004: Des McNulty MSP, Labour
• 2003: John McAllion MSP and Michael McMahon MSP, both Labour, Petitions Committee
• 2002: Mike Rumbles MSP, Liberal Democrats
• 2001: John McAllion MSP, Labour
• 2000: Gordon Jackson MSP, Labour
• 1999: no award

[edit] Debater of the Year, since 2001 renamed Donald Dewar Debater of the Year

• 2006: Tavish Scott MSP, Liberal Democrats
• 2005: Alex Neil MSP, Scottish National Party
• 2004: Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Scottish National Party
• 2003: David McLetchie MSP, Conservative and Unionist
• 2002: David McLetchie MSP, Conservative and Unionist
• 2001: Tommy Sheridan MSP, Scottish Socialist Party
• 2000: Mike Russell MSP, Scottish National Party
• 1999: Frank McAveety MSP, Labour

[edit] Free Spirit/Maverick of the Year

• 2006: Karen Gillon MSP, Labour
• 2005: Brian Monteith MSP, Independent
• 2004: Kenny MacAskill MSP, Scottish National Party
• 2003: John Farquhar Munro MSP, Liberal Democrats
• 2002: Elaine Smith MSP, Labour
• 2001: Donald Gorrie MSP, Liberal Democrats
• 2000: Margo MacDonald MSP, Scottish National Party
• 1999: no award

[edit] Johnnie Walker Award for Progress/One to Watch

• 2006: Parliamentary group of 7 Scottish Green Party MSPs
• 2005: Wendy Alexander MSP, Labour
• 2004: Patrick Harvie MSP, Green
• 2003: Rosie Kane MSP, Scottish Socialist Party
• 2002: no award
• 2001: Christine Grahame MSP, Scottish National Party
• 2000: Tavish Scott MSP, Liberal Democrats
• 1999: Tricia Marwick MSP, Scottish National Party

[edit] Lifetime Achievement Award/Outstanding Political Achievement

• 2006: no award
• 2005: Robin Cook MP, Labour (posthumous award)
• 2004: Tam Dalyell MP, Labour
• 2003: no award
• 2002: Winnie Ewing MSP, Scottish National Party
• 2001: Sir David Steel MSP, Liberal Democrats
• 2000: Alex Salmond MSP, MP Scottish National Party
• 1999: no award

[edit] Public Campaign/Campaigner of the Year

• 2006: Campaign to block the deportation of Sakchai Makao to Thailand
• 2005: Glasgow Girls, a group of young women who highlighted the situation of asylum seekers
• 2004: Özlem and David Grimason, the parents of a baby - Alistair Grimason - killed by gunfire in Turkey: campaigned for a change in Turkish gun laws
• 2003: Margo MacDonald MSP, Independent
• 2002: Margo MacDonald MSP, Scottish National Party
• 2001: no award
• 2000: no award
• 1999: no award

[edit] Scottish Euro MP of the Year

• 2006: no award
• 2005: no award
• 2004: no award
• 2003: Prof Sir Neil MacCormick MEP, Scottish National Party
• 2002: Prof Sir Neil MacCormick MEP, Scottish National Party
• 2001: David Martin MEP, Labour
• 2000: Prof Sir Neil MacCormick MEP, Scottish National Party
• 1999: no award

[edit] Election Performance of the Year (2003 only)

• Scottish Green Party

[edit] Front Bencher of the Year (1999 only)

• Susan Deacon MSP, Labour

[edit] Back Bencher of the Year (1999 only)

• Donald Gorrie MSP, Liberal Democrats

[edit] Reference

• Scottish Politician of the Year awards, The Herald

1. ^ BBC News, Fire-raising peer sent to prison, 22 September 2005