Jamie Stone (politician) explained

Jamie Stone
Honorific-Suffix:MP
Office:Member of Parliament
for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Term Start:8 June 2017
Majority:10,489 (22.7%)
Predecessor:Paul Monaghan
Office1:Councillor, The Highland Council
for Tain and Easter Ross
Term Start1:3 May 2012
Term End1:20 July 2017
Office2:Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Term Start2:6 May 1999
Term End2:22 March 2011
Predecessor2:New constituency
Successor2:Rob Gibson
Office3:Liberal Democrat portfolios
Suboffice3:Scotland
Subterm3:2017, 2019-2020
Suboffice4:Defence
Subterm4:2019-2022
Suboffice5:Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Subterm5:2020-
Birth Name:James Hume Walter Miéville Stone
Birth Date:16 June 1954
Birth Place:Edinburgh, Scotland
Party:Liberal Democrats
Alma Mater:University of St Andrews
Website:Official Website
Termend2:5 May 2011

James Hume Walter Miéville Stone (born 16 June 1954) is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross since 2017.[1]

He was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the constituency of Caithness, Sutherland, and Easter Ross. He held the seat from the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, until he stood down in 2011.[2] He served as the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Defence from 2019 to 2022 and has served as Spokesperson for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport since September 2020.[3]

Early life and career

James Stone was born on 16 June 1954 in Edinburgh. He went to school in Tain, before being privately educated at Gordonstoun. While at school his parents founded Highland Fine Cheeses in 1967.[4] [5] He studied History and Geology at the University of St Andrews and graduated in 1977. Upon graduation, he worked in a variety of fields including fish gutting, on a building site, teaching English on the Italian island of Sicily and the oil industry.[6] [7] [8]

Political career

Councillor

Stone was first elected to Ross and Cromarty District Council in 1986, serving until its abolition in 1996. He served as a member of the Highland Council from its creation in 1995 until his election as MSP in 1999.[9]

At the 2012 Local Government Elections, he returned to the Highland Council as councillor for the Tain and Easter Ross Ward.[10]

Scottish Parliament

As an MSP, Stone was the Scottish Liberal Democrat Party spokesperson on Housing and the Deputy Party spokesman on Health.[11] He participated in the UK television programme, University Challenge, as part of the Scottish Parliament's team.[12] He stood down from the Scottish Parliament at the 2011 election.

In 2016, he stood for election at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross which was largely his former seat after boundary changes were made in 2011. He finished in second place.[13]

Parliamentary career

Stone was elected as the Member of Parliament for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross at the 2017 general election, winning with 35.8% of the vote and a majority of 2,044 votes.[14] [15] [16] On 16 June 2017, he was announced as the Liberal Democrat spokesman for Scotland.[17] On 12 October 2017 he was transferred to the role of Armed Forces spokesman in a reshuffle.[18]

Stone had been re-elected for the Tain and Easter Ross Ward at the 2017 Local Government elections a month earlier. He resigned his seat on Highland Council after he was elected as an MP.[19]

Since his election, Stone has raised various local issues in the House of Commons such as the provision of healthcare facilities in the Scottish Highlands.[20] Stone has also sponsored early day motions to investigate allegations of abuse by G4S on behalf of UK Visas and Immigration and has supported the rollout of free, early years childcare.[21]

During the 2019 general election, Stone campaigned with the Liberal Democrats slogan 'Stop Brexit', saying “This General Election is our best chance to elect a government to stop Brexit".[22] He was re-elected as MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter at the 2019 general election with an increased vote share of 37.2% and a decreased majority of 204.[23] [24]

At the 2024 general election, Stone was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 49.4% and an increased majority of 10,489.[25]

Personal life

Stone is married and has three children, one son and two daughters, both of whom also attended the University of St Andrews. He is also a keen gardener and an expert on edible fungi.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Jamie Stone MP. UK Parliament.
  2. Web site: Lib Dem MSP Jamie Stone to quit Holyrood at election. BBC News. 16 February 2018. 2 June 2010.
  3. Web site: Jamie Stone - Parliamentary Career . 30 November 2022.
  4. Web site: HIGHLAND FINE CHEESES LIMITED - Overview (free company information from Companies House). 2020-11-18. find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. en.
  5. Web site: Our Story. 2020-11-18. Highland Fine Cheeses. en-GB. 31 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200731092702/https://www.hf-cheeses.com/our-story/. live.
  6. Web site: Razaq. Lindsay. Meet the new MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross. 2020-11-18. Press and Journal. 28 June 2017 . en-US.
  7. Web site: 2010-06-02. Stone to stand down at next election. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110719163740/http://www.holyrood.com/daily/2010/06/02/240-stone-to-stand-down-at-next-election. 19 July 2011. 2011-04-21. dmy-all.
  8. Web site: Mr Jamie Stone MSP. Caithness.org. 16 February 2018. 25 October 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151025003019/http://www.caithness.org/community/politicalandgovernement/jamiestone.htm. live.
  9. Web site: Jamie Stone. Liberal Democrats. 24 May 2017. 16 February 2018. 16 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180216205211/https://www.libdems.org.uk/jamie_stone. live.
  10. Web site: Ford. Laurence. Ross shocks in Highland Council results. North Star. 16 February 2018. 10 May 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120510194637/http://www.north-star-news.co.uk/News/Ross-shocks-in-Highland-Council-results.htm. dead.
  11. Web site: Scottish Lib Dem front bench. BBC News. 16 February 2018. 16 September 2008. 13 May 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090513003638/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7619138.stm. live.
  12. Web site: The question is, could we get a team on University Challenge?. Northern Times. 16 February 2018. 17 July 2014.
  13. Web site: Results Sheet Caithness, Sutherland and Ross Constituency. The Highland Council. 16 February 2018. 16 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180216205305/https://www.highland.gov.uk/downloads/file/16225/results_sheet_caithness_sutherland_and_ross_constituency. live.
  14. Web site: Butlin . Heather . 24 July 2017 . UK Parliamentary General Election . The Highland Council.
  15. Web site: 29 January 2019 . 7 April 2018 . Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20191112183438/https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7979/CBP-7979.pdf . 12 November 2019 . . Second.
  16. News: 9 June 2017 . Jamie Stone wins Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20181122220612/https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/News/Jamie-Stone-wins-Caithness-Sutherland-and-Easter-Ross-09062017.htm . 22 November 2018 . 16 February 2018 . John O'Groat Journal.
  17. Web site: Liberal Democrats announce Shadow Cabinet. Liberal Democrats. 16 February 2018. 1 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171001031004/https://www.libdems.org.uk/liberal-democrats-shadow-cabinet. live.
  18. News: New Liberal Democrat spokespeople. 2017-10-12. Liberal Democrats. 2017-10-12. en. 19 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171119220128/https://www.libdems.org.uk/new-liberal-democrat-spokespeople. live.
  19. Web site: Tain by-election dates announced. www.north-star-news.co.uk. 10 August 2017. 20 August 2017. 20 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170820202422/http://www.north-star-news.co.uk/News/Tain-by-election-dates-announced-10082017.htm. dead.
  20. News: Pregnant Women In The Highlands Are Being Forced To Travel Hundreds Of Miles For Medical Care. BuzzFeed. 2017-12-19. en. 22 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171222052105/https://www.buzzfeed.com/jamieross/pregnant-women-in-the-highlands-are-being-forced-to-travel. live.
  21. Web site: Early day motions by Member for 2017-19 - Stone, Jamie. UK Parliament. 2017-12-19. 22 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171222070812/https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/business-papers/commons/early-day-motions/edm-member-detail/?member=4153&session=2017-19. live.
  22. Web site: Jamie Stone MP. Jamie Stone MP. 11 May 2021. 13 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210513214825/https://www.jamiestone.org.uk/. live.
  23. Web site: 28 January 2020 . 7 April 2018 . Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240214001221/https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8749/CBP-8749.pdf . 14 February 2024 . . Second.
  24. News: Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross Parliamentary constituency. BBC. 6 February 2020. 6 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191206224144/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/S14000009. live.
  25. News: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross - General election results 2024 . 2024-07-25 . BBC News . en-GB.