Nick Johnston (politician) explained

Constituency Mp:Mid Scotland and Fife
Parliament:Scottish
Term Start:6 May 1999
Term End:10 August 2001
Successor:Murdo Fraser
Birth Date:5 January 1948
Birth Place:Filey, England
Party:Scottish Conservative Party
Spouse:Anna Jiménez-Olive

Paul Nicholas Johnston (born 5 January, 1948) is a Scottish politician who was a Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Mid Scotland and Fife region from May 1999, until August 2001.[1]

Early life

Paul Nicholas Johnston was born in Filey, England on 5 January, 1948.[2] He attended North Kesteven Grammar School in North Hykeham, Lincolnshire. Johnston then joined the Royal Engineers and attended Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. From 1972, he worked in the car retail industry, becoming Group Operations Director of Eastern Western Motor Group.-->

Political career

Johnston stood as a Scottish Conservative and Unionist candidate for the Scottish Parliament in 1999, and was elected for the Mid Scotland and Fife region.[3] At the beginning of Parliament, Johnston took the oath in Catalan.[4] In January 2001, he wrote a letter to The Times, where he expressed disillusionment with the attitude of other politicians.[5] An absence from Parliament began in February 2001, with an episode of pneumonia. That same year in August, he resigned, citing disillusionment with politics, and his perception of a weak party leadership as reasons for doing so.[6] [7]

His place in the Scottish Parliament was taken by Murdo Fraser.[8]

Johnston was among a group of former MSPs who supported Scottish independence, saying that it would give Scotland an opportunity to "create a fairer, more equal society."[9] [10]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Johnston, (Paul) Nicholas . WHO'S WHO 2023 . Bloomsbury Publishing . 24 October 2023.
  2. Web site: SCOTS - Scottish Parliament: Official Report (12/05/99) . scottishcorpus.ac.uk.
  3. News: Vote 99: Scotland: Mid Scotland and Fife . BBC News . 24 November 2016.
  4. News: We fought for this for a long time . Robert . Tait . Alison . Hardie . Peter . MacMahon . The Scotsman . 13 May 1999 . 24 November 2016.
  5. News: Tory MSP calls for 'honest politics' . BBC News . 15 January 2001.
  6. News: Outgoing Tory attacks colleagues . BBC News . 10 August 2001.
  7. Book: Torrance . David . Whatever Happened to Tory Scotland? . 24 October 2012 . Edinburgh University Press . 978-0-7486-4688-3 . 100 . en.
  8. Book: Stewart . Thomas AW . The Scottish Parliament in its Own Words: An Oral History . 15 June 2019 . Luath Press Ltd . 978-1-912387-59-5 . en.
  9. News: Former Tory MSP supports Yes vote in independence referendum . STV News . STV . 22 December 2013 . 16 May 2016.
  10. News: Ex-MSPs voice support for Yes vote . 1 April 2021 . Herald Scotland . 1 July 2014 . en.