Annabel Goldie
Encyclopedia
Annabel MacNicoll Goldie (born 27 February 1950) is a Scottish
Conservative
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for the West of Scotland Region
. She was the Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party in the Scottish Parliament
from 2005 until 2011.
, Scotland but has lived in nearby Renfrewshire
all of her life. Previously living in the countryside between Kilmacolm
and Lochwinnoch
, she has been a resident of the nearby village of Bishopton
for the past forty years. First educated at Kilmacolm Primary School and Greenock Academy
, she went on to study at the University of Strathclyde
in Glasgow, graduating with an LL.B
in 1971. She has been a solicitor
and partner with Glasgow law firm Donaldson, Alexander, Russell & Haddow since 1978. She is also an Elder
in the Church of Scotland
and sits on the West of Scotland Advisory Board of the Salvation Army
. She is unmarried and is a Deputy Lieutenant
of the County of Renfrewshire
.
Goldie first stood for election to the House of Commons
in the 1992 general election
for the West Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
constituency, coming second with 32.9% of the vote.
in the 1999 election as an additional member
for the West of Scotland electoral region, and subsequently became deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives. She retained this seat in the 2003 election and again in 2007.
In addition to her appearance on the regional list ballots, she has also stood as a candidate in the West Renfrewshire constituency
for the Scottish Parliament in 1999, 2003 and 2007. While increasing the Conservative share of the vote each time, she has yet to be elected although raised her position from third to second place in 2007 with a reduced Labour majority.
Following boundary changes, the West Renfrewshire constituency has been abolished. Goldie has been selected by local Scottish Conservative members to fight the new seat of Renfrewshire North and West.
resigned as leader of the Scottish Conservatives following adverse publicity created by the publishing of details of expenses he claimed for taxi journeys.
Goldie put herself forward as a leadership candidate on 2 November 2005—a joint nomination with Murdo Fraser
as her proposed deputy. Their nomination was unopposed and Goldie was appointed leader on 8 November 2005, the first woman to lead the Scottish Conservative Party. In her maiden speech as leader, she promised to act against "disloyalty and disobedience" in the party and in a reference to Margaret Thatcher
she said, "I think you may take it matron's handbag will be in hyper-action. There could be worse precedents to follow".
At her first party conference in March 2006, Goldie set out her plans to make the Scottish Conservatives the "principal party of opposition in Scotland". However her second conference as party leader was overshadowed by a leaked memo by David Mundell
, the only Scottish Conservative MP in the British House of Commons
, and Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, in which he criticised Goldie's leadership.
She has won praise for her leadership of the party into the 2007 Scottish Parliament election
and personally as a skilled debater and been labelled a "much-liked public figure". From February 2009 onwards, Goldie was given monthly attendance rights to participate in the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet in Westminster
.
On 9 May 2011, Goldie stated her intention to resign as leader of the Scottish Conservatives, citing her party's disappointing election result. However she will remain party leader until a new leader can be selected.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
for the West of Scotland Region
West of Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
West of Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
. She was the Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party in the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
from 2005 until 2011.
Background and personal life
Goldie was born in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland but has lived in nearby Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire (historic)
Renfrewshire or the County of Renfrew is a registration county, the Lieutenancy area of the Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire, and one of the counties of Scotland used for local government until 1975. Renfrewshire is located in the West Central Lowlands of Scotland, south of the River Clyde,...
all of her life. Previously living in the countryside between Kilmacolm
Kilmacolm
Kilmacolm is a village and civil parish in the Inverclyde council area and the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on the northern slope of the Gryffe Valley south-east of Greenock and around west of the city of Glasgow...
and Lochwinnoch
Lochwinnoch
Lochwinnoch is a village in the council area and historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Lying on the banks of Castle Semple Loch and the River Calder, Lochwinnoch is chiefly a residential dormitory village serving nearby urban centres such as Glasgow and Paisley...
, she has been a resident of the nearby village of Bishopton
Bishopton, Renfrewshire
Bishopton is a large village in Renfrewshire, Scotland, a few miles west of Erskine.-Transport links:Bishopton sits a couple of miles from the southern end of the Erskine Bridge, which spans the River Clyde between Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire. Part way along the B815 road is a computer...
for the past forty years. First educated at Kilmacolm Primary School and Greenock Academy
Greenock Academy
The Greenock Academy was a non-denominational, mixed comprehensive school in the west end of Greenock, Scotland.The Greenock Academy and Gourock High School merged into a new school in the Bayhill area of Gourock...
, she went on to study at the University of Strathclyde
Strathclyde Law School
Strathclyde Law School was established in 1964 and operates within the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences at the University of Strathclyde, in Glasgow, Scotland....
in Glasgow, graduating with an LL.B
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
in 1971. She has been a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
and partner with Glasgow law firm Donaldson, Alexander, Russell & Haddow since 1978. She is also an Elder
Elder (Christianity)
An elder in Christianity is a person valued for his wisdom who accordingly holds a particular position of responsibility in a Christian group. In some Christian traditions an elder is a clergy person who usually serves a local church or churches and who has been ordained to a ministry of Word,...
in the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
and sits on the West of Scotland Advisory Board of the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
. She is unmarried and is a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of the County of Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire (historic)
Renfrewshire or the County of Renfrew is a registration county, the Lieutenancy area of the Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire, and one of the counties of Scotland used for local government until 1975. Renfrewshire is located in the West Central Lowlands of Scotland, south of the River Clyde,...
.
Goldie first stood for election to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in the 1992 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
for the West Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
Renfrew West and Inverclyde (UK Parliament constituency)
Renfrewshire West and Inverclyde was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1997.The constituency was created out of, and merged back into, the West Renfrewshire constituency.-Members of Parliament:...
constituency, coming second with 32.9% of the vote.
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Goldie was elected to the Scottish ParliamentScottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
in the 1999 election as an additional member
Additional Member System
The Additional Member System is the term used in the United Kingdom for the mixed member proportional representation voting system used in Scotland, Wales and the London Assembly....
for the West of Scotland electoral region, and subsequently became deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives. She retained this seat in the 2003 election and again in 2007.
In addition to her appearance on the regional list ballots, she has also stood as a candidate in the West Renfrewshire constituency
West Renfrewshire (Scottish Parliament constituency)
West Renfrewshire was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the first past the post method of election...
for the Scottish Parliament in 1999, 2003 and 2007. While increasing the Conservative share of the vote each time, she has yet to be elected although raised her position from third to second place in 2007 with a reduced Labour majority.
Following boundary changes, the West Renfrewshire constituency has been abolished. Goldie has been selected by local Scottish Conservative members to fight the new seat of Renfrewshire North and West.
Leader of the Scottish Conservatives
On 31 October 2005, Goldie became acting leader after David McLetchieDavid McLetchie
David McLetchie is a Scottish politician, currently a Scottish Conservative and Unionist Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Lothian electoral region...
resigned as leader of the Scottish Conservatives following adverse publicity created by the publishing of details of expenses he claimed for taxi journeys.
Goldie put herself forward as a leadership candidate on 2 November 2005—a joint nomination with Murdo Fraser
Murdo Fraser
Murdo Fraser is a Scottish politician and the current Deputy leader of the Scottish Conservative Party in the Scottish Parliament. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Mid Scotland and Fife region since 2001....
as her proposed deputy. Their nomination was unopposed and Goldie was appointed leader on 8 November 2005, the first woman to lead the Scottish Conservative Party. In her maiden speech as leader, she promised to act against "disloyalty and disobedience" in the party and in a reference to Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
she said, "I think you may take it matron's handbag will be in hyper-action. There could be worse precedents to follow".
At her first party conference in March 2006, Goldie set out her plans to make the Scottish Conservatives the "principal party of opposition in Scotland". However her second conference as party leader was overshadowed by a leaked memo by David Mundell
David Mundell
David Gordon Mundell is a British Conservative politician and, since 2005, he has been the only Conservative Member of Parliament representing a Scottish Westminster constituency...
, the only Scottish Conservative MP in the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
, and Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, in which he criticised Goldie's leadership.
She has won praise for her leadership of the party into the 2007 Scottish Parliament election
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
and personally as a skilled debater and been labelled a "much-liked public figure". From February 2009 onwards, Goldie was given monthly attendance rights to participate in the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet in Westminster
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
.
On 9 May 2011, Goldie stated her intention to resign as leader of the Scottish Conservatives, citing her party's disappointing election result. However she will remain party leader until a new leader can be selected.
Career Timeline
- 1971 - Graduated with an LLBBachelor of LawsThe Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
from Strathclyde UniversityUniversity of StrathclydeThe University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
.
- 1978-Present - Solicitor in the Donaldson, Alexander, Russell & Haddow law firm in Glasgow.
- 1992 - Stood unsuccessfully for the Renfrew West & InverclydeRenfrew West and Inverclyde (UK Parliament constituency)Renfrewshire West and Inverclyde was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1997.The constituency was created out of, and merged back into, the West Renfrewshire constituency.-Members of Parliament:...
constituency.
- 1999-Present - MSP for the West ScotlandWest of Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)West of Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
electoral region.
- 2005-2011 - Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party.
- 2011-Present - Scottish Conservative spokesman on Culture.