Alex Cole-Hamilton

Alexander Geoffrey "Alex" Cole-Hamilton (born 22 July 1977) is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician. He has served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Edinburgh Western constituency since 2016.[1]

Alex Cole-Hamilton

MSP
Cole-Hamilton in 2016
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Edinburgh Western
Assumed office
6 May 2016
Preceded byColin Keir
Majority2,960 (7.5%)
Personal details
Born
Alexander Geoffrey Cole-Hamilton

(1977-07-22) 22 July 1977
Lancashire, England
Political partyScottish Liberal Democrats
Alma materUniversity of Aberdeen
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life

Cole-Hamilton was born in Lancashire, the son of David John Cole-Hamilton and Elizabeth Ann Brown.[2][3] After attending Madras College, a state school in St Andrews, he graduated from the University of Aberdeen with a degree in politics and international relations.[2] There, he was President of the Students' Representative Council from 1999 until 2000. He later worked in the voluntary sector and was formerly a Convener and Director of "Together (Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights)".[4]

Political career

Cole-Hamilton stood in several constituencies unsuccessfully as a Lib Dem candidate in Scottish Parliament elections in 2003 for the Kirkcaldy constituency; 2007 in Stirling and 2011 in Edinburgh Central.

In the 2005 United Kingdom general election he stood in the constituency of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath.

In 2016, after standing successfully for Edinburgh Western Constituency of the Scottish Parliament, his electoral expenses were investigated,[5][6] [7][8] according to the Edinburgh Evening News: "Mr Cole-Hamilton recorded the highest election costs of any Edinburgh candidate, spending £32,549 on his campaign while his rival for the Edinburgh Western seat, SNP candidate Tony Giugliano, spent £18,593."[9] Whilst Cole-Hamilton was cleared of any wrongdoing, the party was fined for failing to file an accurate spending return on its national spending return.[10]

He is currently the Scottish Liberal Democrats spokesperson for Health.[11]

Personal life

He has a wife, Gillian, and three children.[12]

The Cole-Hamilton family is of Irish Planter origin, but a branch has lived in Scotland for over a century.[3]

His ancestors include the Venerable Richard Mervyn Cole-Hamilton, and John Cole, 1st Baron Mountflorence of Florence Court (1709–1767). Other relatives include Anni Cole-Hamilton, founder of the private Moray Firth School and Air Vice Marshal John Cole-Hamilton (1894–1945). His ancestor Arthur Cole-Hamilton was MP for Fermanagh and Enniskillen in the Parliament of Ireland and for Enniskillen after the 1801 union.[3][12]

His relative John Cole-Hamilton was Provost of Kilwinning from 1940 until 1947, Deputy Lord Lieutenant for the County of Ayr in 1951, and Chairman of the Central Ayrshire Conservative Party when that constituency was formed, and Richard Cole-Hamilton, former chief executive of the Clydesdale Bank.[13]

References
  1. "Election 2016: Edinburgh Western". BBC News. 6 May 2016.
  2. "Getting to know you - Alex Cole-Hamilton". Holyrood Website. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  3. Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (107 ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. pp. 1327–1329. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.
  4. "Alex Cole-Hamilton, Register of Interests". Scottish Parliament Website. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  5. "LibDem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton reported to fiscal over campaign spending". The Herald. 5 July 2017.
  6. "Liberal campaign leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP reported by police over election spending". CommonSpace. 5 June 2017.
  7. "Police probe 'irregularities' in MSP's election spending". STV. 26 September 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  8. "Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton reported over Holyrood campaign spending". BBC News. 7 June 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  9. "Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton faces expenses probe". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  10. "Scottish LibDems fined over 2016 election inaccuracy". HeraldScotland.
  11. "Scottish A&E waiting times show improvement". BBC News. 23 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  12. "Getting to know you - Alex Cole-Hamilton". Holyrood Magazine. 5 July 2017.
  13. "John Cole- Hamilton". The Herald. 5 July 2017.
Parliament of Scotland
Preceded by
Colin Keir		 Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Edinburgh Western
2016–present		 Incumbent
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