Scottish Politician of the Year
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Scottish Politician of the Year is an annual award established in 1999. It is held by The Herald newspaper in Prestonfield, Edinburgh.
Although the awards ceremony has been held once at the Royal Museum, Prestonfield House Hotel is considered to be the home of the event. 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]
Not all of the subsidiary awards are handed out every year.
Contents
- 1 Winners
- 1.1 Main award: Scottish Politician of the Year
- 1.2 Best Scot at Westminster
- 1.3 Debater of the Year, since 2001 renamed Donald Dewar Debater of the Year
- 1.4 One to Watch/Award for Progress
- 1.5 The Herald Politics in Business Award
- 1.6 Public Campaign/Campaigner of the Year
- 1.7 Island Council Leaders
- 1.8 Councillor/Local Government Politician of the Year
- 1.9 Political Impact of the Year
- 1.10 e-Politician of the Year
- 1.11 Lifetime Achievement Award/Outstanding Political Achievement
- 1.12 Newcomer of the Year (2011 only)
- 1.13 Committee/Committee Member(s) of the Year
- 1.14 Free Spirit/Maverick of the Year (2000-2008 only)
- 1.15 International Scot Award (2007 and 2008 only)
- 1.16 Scottish Euro MP of the Year (2000-2003 only)
- 1.17 Election Performance of the Year (2003 only)
- 1.18 Front Bencher of the Year (1999 only)
- 1.19 Back Bencher of the Year (1999 only)
- 1.20 Judges Award
- 2 References
- 3 External links
Winners
Main award: Scottish Politician of the Year
- 2015: Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Scottish National Party, First Minister
- 2014: Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Scottish National Party, First Minister
- 2013: Alex Salmond MSP, Scottish National Party, First Minister
- 2012: Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Scottish National Party, Deputy First Minister
- 2011: Alex Salmond MSP, Scottish National Party, First Minister[2]
- 2010: Hugh Henry MSP, Labour, back-bencher, convenor of Public Audit Committee
- 2009: John Swinney MSP, Scottish National Party, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth
- 2008: Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Scottish National Party, Deputy First Minister
- 2007: Alex Salmond MSP MP, Scottish National Party, First Minister
- 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
- 2000: Jim Wallace MSP MP, Liberal Democrats, Deputy First Minister
- 1999: Donald Dewar MSP, MP, Labour, First Minister
Best Scot at Westminster
- 2013: Douglas Alexander MP, Labour
- 2012: Michael Moore MP, Liberal Democrats, Secretary of State for Scotland
- 2011: Angus Robertson MP, Scottish National Party Parliamentary Group Leader in Westminster and shadow minister for Defence and Foreign Affairs
- 2010: Jim Murphy MP, Labour, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
- 2009: Jim Murphy MP, Labour, Secretary of State for Scotland
- 2008: Alistair Darling MP, Labour, Chancellor of the Exchequer
- 2007: Gordon Brown MP, Labour, Prime Minister
- 2006: Angus MacNeil MP, Scottish National Party, for instigating the Metropolitan Police investigation into the Cash for Honours scandal
- 2005: Des Browne MP, Labour, Chief Secretary to the Treasury
- 2004: Menzies Campbell MP, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Lib Dem Foreign Affairs Spokesman
- 2003: Robin Cook MP, Labour, President of the Party of European Socialists; backbencher after his resignation as Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons on 17 March 2003 in protest against the invasion of Iraq
- 2002: Alistair Darling MP, Labour, Secretary of State for Transport
- 2001: John Reid MP, Labour, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
- 2000: Gordon Brown MP, Labour, Chancellor of the Exchequer
- 1999: Gordon Brown MP, Labour, Chancellor of the Exchequer
Debater of the Year, since 2001 renamed Donald Dewar Debater of the Year
- 2013: Johann Lamont MSP, Labour
- 2012: Dennis Robertson MSP, Scottish National Party
- 2011: Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Scottish National Party
- 2010: Derek Brownlee MSP, Conservative and Unionist
- 2009: John Swinney MSP, Scottish National Party
- 2008: Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Scottish National Party
- 2007: John Swinney MSP, Scottish National Party
- 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: Michael Russell MSP, Scottish National Party
- 1999: Frank McAveety MSP, Labour
One to Watch/Award for Progress
- 2013: Kezia Dugdale MSP, Labour
- 2012: Humza Yousaf MSP, Scottish National Party
- 2011: no award
- 2010: Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, Scottish National Party
- 2009: Gavin Brown MSP, Conservative and Unionist
- 2008: John Park MSP, Labour
- 2007: Derek Brownlee MSP, Conservative and Unionist
- 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
The Herald Politics in Business Award
- 2013: Richard Lochhead MSP, Scottish National Party, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment
Public Campaign/Campaigner of the Year
- 2012: Shelter Scotland
- 2012: Martha Payne, blogger and campaigner
- 2011 - 2 awards: RAF Lossiemouth and Frank Maguire, lawyer and campaigner (posthumous award)
- 2010: Ann Moulds, anti-stalking
- 2008: Clydeside Action on Asbestos
- 2007: Farepak savers' campaign
- 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
Island Council Leaders
- 2013: Councillor Gary Robinson, Councillor Angus Campbell and Councillor Steven Heddle
Councillor/Local Government Politician of the Year
- 2013: Steven Heddle, Independent, Orkney Council
- 2012: Gordon Matheson, Labour, Glasgow City Council
- 2011: Michael Foxley, Liberal Democrats, Highland Council
- 2010: Pat Watters, Labour, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
- 2009: Steven Purcell, Labour, Glasgow City Council
Political Impact of the Year
- 2013: Kenny MacAskill MSP, Scottish National Party, Cabinet Secretary for Justice
- 2012: Johann Lamont MSP, Labour
- 2011: Murdo Fraser MSP, Conservative and Unionist
e-Politician of the Year
- 2013: Patrick Harvie, MSP, Green Party
Lifetime Achievement Award/Outstanding Political Achievement
- 2013: Rt Hon Sir George Reid, former Presiding Officer
- 2012: no award
- 2011 - 2 awards: Gordon Brown MP, Labour; and Joe Quinn, former Scottish Political Editor of the Press Association
- 2010: Jack McConnell MSP, Labour, First Minister 2001 - 2007
- 2008: Jim Wallace, former leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats
- 2007: Margo MacDonald MSP, Independent
- 2006: no award
- 2005: Robin Cook MP, Labour (posthumous award)
- 2004: Tam Dalyell MP, Labour
- 2002: Winnie Ewing MSP, Scottish National Party
- 2001: David Steel MSP, Liberal Democrats
- 2000: Alex Salmond MSP MP, Scottish National Party
- 1999: no award
Newcomer of the Year (2011 only)
- Ruth Davidson MSP, Conservative and Unionist
Committee/Committee Member(s) of the Year
- 2012: no award
- 2011: no award
- 2010: Public Accounts Committee
- 2009: Public Accounts Committee
- 2008: Bill Aitken MSP, Conservative and Unionist, for convenership of the Justice Committee
- 2007: no award
- 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
Free Spirit/Maverick of the Year (2000-2008 only)
- 2008: Chris Harvie MSP, Scottish National Party
- 2007: Christine Grahame MSP, Scottish National Party
- 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
International Scot Award (2007 and 2008 only)
- 2008: Sir Sean Connery
- 2007: Sir Tom Hunter
Scottish Euro MP of the Year (2000-2003 only)
- 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
Election Performance of the Year (2003 only)
Front Bencher of the Year (1999 only)
- Susan Deacon MSP, Labour
Back Bencher of the Year (1999 only)
- Donald Gorrie MSP, Liberal Democrats
Judges Award
- 2014:Gordon Aikman
