Keith Raffan

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Keith William Twort Raffan, (born 21 June 1949) in Aberdeen, is a former Scottish Liberal Democrat politician and a former Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP). He was previously a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) in Westminster for the Welsh seat of Delyn, and was a chairman of Pressure for Economic and Social Toryism (precursor of the Tory Reform Group), placing him on the left of the Tories.

He abandoned the Tories due to his support for devolution and their resolute opposition to it and decided to join the LibDems. At the 1999 Scottish Parliament election he was elected to represent Mid Scotland and Fife.

He was one of three LibDem MSPs (along with Donald Gorrie and John Farquhar Munro) to oppose the coalition with the Labour Party in the Scottish Parliament; and was alone in his LibDem colleagues in not backing Donald Dewar for First Minister (he abstained from the vote).

Raffan was re-elected at the 2003 Scottish Parliament election. However, in December, 2004 he was subject to wide criticism for claiming abnormally large expense costs from the Scottish Parliament. The following month he resigned as an MSP, citing health reasons and not the controversy his expense claim had caused as the reason.

He was replaced by Andrew Arbuckle, who had been next on the Lib-Dem list for Mid Scotland and Fife in 2003.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have confirmed to the press that Raffan is no longer a party member. He is no longer associated with either of the two political parties that formed the basis of his parliamentary career.