Scottish Parliament
Simpson is the current Deputy Party Spokesperson on Health for the Labour Party. In the 2007 parliament he was the Labour lead on the Health and Wellbeing Committee and also Co-Convener of the Cross-Party Groups in the Scottish Parliament on Drug and Alcohol Misuse and on Mental Health, and a Member of the Cross-Party Groups in the Scottish Parliament on Epilepsy, Golf, Palestine, Tobacco Control and Visual Impairment.
Simpson's campaigns include 'Save Waterwatch', the undergrounding of the electricity line from Beauly to Denny and stop the running of night trains on the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway line. He was also central to the dropping of the SNP bid to allow local licensing boards to ban under 21 alcohol sales, stating that this would discriminate against young people who were responsible drinkers.
Simpson was elected in 1999 as the first MSP for Ochil. He was made the deputy Justice minister when Jack McConnell became First Minister in 2001. As a Minister, Dr Simpson launched the Scotland's People genealogy web page in 2002. He resigned in November 2002 after allegedly using the words "fascist bastards" in connection with striking firefighters. He admitted using the words but claimed that he was quoting a member of the public.
Simpson was returned to the Scottish Parliament in 2007 as third on the Labour Regional list for Mid Scotland and Fife. At the election on May 5th 2011, he was once again returned to Holyrood as a regional MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife.
Read more about this topic: Richard Simpson (politician)
Famous quotes containing the words scottish and/or parliament:
“Better wear out shoes than sheets.”
—18th-century Scottish proverb, collected in J. Kelly, Complete Collection of Scottish Proverbs (1721)
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)