Stewart Stevenson

Infobox MSP
honorific-prefix =
name = Stewart Stevenson
honorific-suffix = MSP


imagesize =
caption =
office = Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change
term_start = 17 May 2007
term_end =
firstminister = Alex Salmond
predecessor = Tavish Scott
(as Minister for Transport)
successor = Incumbent
constituency_MP2 = Banff & Buchan
parliament2 = Scottish
majority2 = 10,530 (38.6%)
term_start2 = 7 June 2001
term_end2 =
predecessor2 = Alex Salmond
successor2 =
birth_date = Birth date and age|1946|10|15|df=yes
birth_place = Edinburgh
death_date =
death_place =
birthname =
nationality = Scottish
party = Scottish National Party
spouse = Sandra Pirie
relations =
children =
residence = Banffshire, Scotland
alma_mater = University of Aberdeen
occupation =
profession = Software Engineer
cabinet =
committees =
religion =


website = http://stewartstevenson.net
footnotes =

Stewart Stevenson (James Alexander Stewart Stevenson, "Gaelic: Seamus Alasdair Stiùbhart MacSteafain") (born 1946) is a Scottish politician who became a member of the Scottish Parliament in 2001.

He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and brought up in Cupar, Fife where he went to Bell Baxter High School. After studying mathematics at the University of Aberdeen he worked in information technology with Bank of Scotland for 30 years retiring in 1999 as Director of Technology Innovation.

In Opposition

He joined the Scottish National Party (SNP) in 1961. Elected to the Scottish Parliament on 7 June 2001 he followed Alex Salmond, after his resignation, as member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Banff and Buchan.

He made his maiden speech on the European Union's Common Fisheries Policy, rising to his feet at 16:11 hrs on 14 June, 26 hours and 36 minutes after being sworn in. [ [http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-01/sor0614-02.htm#Col1669 Official Report (Session 1); c 1669] , "Scottish Parliament", 14 June 2001]

University Challenge

In 2004 he was a member of the Scottish Parliament team in the TV general knowledge program, "University Challenge - The Professionals". He and fellow team members Richard Baker (Labour), Robin Harper (Green), Jamie Stone (Lib Dem) who was captain, beat a Welsh Assembly team by 110 points to 75 [ [http://www.blanchflower.org/uc/uc04pro.html 2004 Series University Challenge - The Professionals] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3844487.stm Scots win in 'Paxo' challenge] , "BBC News", 28 June 2004] . Both teams comfortably surpassed the record low score of 25 achieved by the House of Commons team in 2003 [ [http://www.blanchflower.org/uc/uc03pro.html 2003 Series University Challenge - The Professionals] ]

Responsibilities

In opposition he was Shadow Deputy Justice Minister with responsibility for Prisons and Drugs policy, Convenor of the SNP Group in the Scottish Parliament and Deputy Convenor of the Parliament's [http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/justice1/index.htm Justice 1 Committee.] In addition he ended Session 2 as a substitute member of the Parliament's [http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/health/index.htm Health Committee] and Deputy Convenor of the Parliament's Cross Party Group on Visual Impairment.

Records

By the end of Parliament's second session on 2 April 2007 he had made 284 speeches in the Scottish Parliament and was thus the most prolific speaker since the Parliament's being re-convened in 1999.

He can, arguably, hold the record for the longest speech in Parliament. He commenced a speech on "International Suicide Prevention Week" at 17:21 on Wednesday, 7 September 2004 [ [http://scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-04/sor0907-02.htm#Col9981 Official Report (Session 2); c 9981] , "Scottish Parliament", 7 September 2004] and completed it at 17:12 on Thursday, 8 September 2004 [ [http://scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-04/sor0908-02.htm#Col10121 Official Report (Session 2); c 10121] , "Scottish Parliament", 8 September 2004] nearly 24 hours later. However this was due to the failure of the Parliament's sound system just after he started to speak.

In Government

In the Scottish Parliament election of 3 May 2007, Stewart Stevenson was returned with a majority of 10,530, the largest in Scotland, over the Scottish Conservative Party candidate. After the SNP's victory at the 2007 Scottish Parliament Election, Stevenson was appointed Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change [ [http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2007/05/17111128 Parliament approves Scottish Ministers] , "Scottish Government", 17 May 2007] . This appointment covers: the land use planning system, climate change, building standards, transport policy and delivery, public transport, road, rail services, canals, harbours, air and ferry services, Scottish Water.

As Minister, Stevenson piloted the SNP's first Bill, Abolition of Bridge Tolls (Scotland) Bill, to the statute book on 24 January 2008. [ [http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/01-AbolitionBridgeTolls/index.htm Abolition of Bridge Tolls (Scotland) Bill] , "Scottish Parliament", 24 January 2008] . He also brought forward the SNP's first Legislative Consent Motion, previously known as Sewel Motions, on the subject of the UK Climate Change Bill [ [http://scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-07/sor1220-02.htm#Col4759 Official Report (Session 3); c 4759] , "Scottish Parliament", 20 December 2007] . He was also the first SNP Minister to lose a vote in Parliament on the subject of the Edinburgh Trams project [ [http://scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-07/sor0627-02.htm#Col1127 Official Report (Session 3); c 1127] , "Scottish Parliament", 27 June 2007] .

He continues a family association as the Minister for Transport through the planning and building of the replacement for the Forth Road Bridge which opened in 1964. His great uncle Sir Alexander Stevenson was Chairman of the Forth Road Bridge Campaign Committee in the 1930s. [ [http://archive.scotsman.com/search.cfm The Archive] , "The Scotsman", 28 February 1935 (Search Free / Pay to Access)]

References

Relatives

Politics
*Alexander Berry (1781-1873) MP New South Wales, Australia - 1st cousin, 4 times removed
*Keith Laird (1907-1985) Canadian Senator - 3rd cousin
*Sir Alexander Stewart Stevenson (1860-1936) Edinburgh Lord Provost - Great Uncle
*Lord James Stevenson (1873-1926) Member of House of Lords - 1st cousin, once removedSport
*Jamie Alexander Stevenson (1975- ) World Sprint Orienteering Champion 2003 - Nephew

External links

* [http://stewartstevenson.net Stewart Stevenson's personal web site]
* [http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/govtmay307/14944/Scottish-Cabinet/stewartstevensonmsp Stewart Stevenson's Scottish Government biography]
* [http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/membersPages/stewart_stevenson/index.htm Stewart Stevenson's Scottish Parliament biography]
* [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/search/?s=%22Stewart+Stevenson%22 Stewart Stevenson at "They Work for You"]
###@@@KEY@@@###
Template group
title = Stewart Stevenson
titlestyle = style="background:#eee;
list =