Alison Johnstone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alison Johnstone
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Official portrait, 2021
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| Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament | |
| Assumed office 13 May 2021 |
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| Monarch | |
| Deputy |
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| Preceded by | Ken Macintosh |
| Co-Leader of the Greens in the Scottish Parliament | |
| In office 3 March 2019 – 5 May 2021 Serving with Patrick Harvie
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Lorna Slater (as Co-Leader of the Scottish Greens) |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for Lothian (1 of 7 Regional MSPs) |
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| Assumed office 5 May 2011 |
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| Scottish Green portfolios | |
| 2011–2021 | Health, Sport, Social Security, Children and Young People |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 October 1965 Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Political party | Independent (since 2021) |
| Other political affiliations |
Scottish Greens (until May 2021) |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | Official website: https://greens.scot/alison-johnstone-msp |
Alison Johnstone was born on 11 October 1965. She is a Scottish politician who has been the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament since 2021. Think of the Presiding Officer as the referee or speaker of the parliament.
Alison was first elected as a member of the Scottish Greens. However, when she became Presiding Officer, she had to leave her political party. This is because the Presiding Officer needs to be fair to all parties. She has also been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Lothian area since 2011.
She grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland, and went to St. Augustine's High School. Before becoming a politician, she worked as an assistant to Robin Harper. He was the first ever Green Party politician elected in the UK. In 2007, Alison became a co-leader of the Scottish Greens. The same year, she was elected to the City of Edinburgh Council, which is the local government for Edinburgh.
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Growing Up and Early Interests
Alison Johnstone was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 11 October 1965. She went to St. Augustine's High School. She was very good at sports, especially running. Alison is a trained athletics coach. She used to hold records for running 800m and 1500m in eastern Scotland. For ten years, she worked as a registrar at Basil Paterson College.
How Alison Got Into Politics
Alison first became interested in politics in the mid-1990s. She joined a group called Keep Meggetland Green. This group was trying to stop new buildings from being built on Meggetland Playing Fields. She wrote to many politicians for help. Only two Green politicians, Robin Harper and Gavin Corbett, replied.
Even though the campaign didn't stop the buildings, Alison started to get more involved. She went to a Green Party meeting and liked what she heard. She also supported the idea of a Scottish Parliament. After Robin Harper was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999, Alison worked as his assistant until 2011.
Alison's Political Journey
Serving as a City Councillor
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Alison first ran for election in 2003 in Edinburgh. She didn't win that time, but she saw a chance for the Green Party to get involved in local government. In the 2007 Scottish local elections, she ran for the City of Edinburgh Council. She was elected to represent the Meadows/Morningside area. She was one of three Green politicians elected to the council that year.
Alison did not run for re-election to the council in 2012. This was because she had been elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) in 2011. After the Scottish Greens didn't do as well as hoped in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, Alison became a co-leader of the party. She believed the Green Party would grow and get more support. She served alongside Robin Harper as co-leader until 2008.
Becoming a Member of the Scottish Parliament
In the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, Alison Johnstone was elected as an additional member for the Lothian region. This meant she became an MSP.
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She also ran for the Edinburgh Central seat in the 2016 Scottish Parliament election but didn't win. However, she was still elected as an MSP through the regional list system. After this election, she became the Scottish Greens' spokesperson for important areas like Health, Sport, Social Security, Children, and Young People.
From March 2019 to May 2021, she was a co-leader of the Scottish Greens in the Scottish Parliament, working with Patrick Harvie. In 2020, she helped pass a law to protect the mountain hare in Scotland. This was a big step for wildlife protection.
Alison also sometimes spoke for the Green Party during First Minister's Questions. This is when MSPs ask questions to the First Minister of Scotland. People noticed that she was very good at challenging the First Minister.
Becoming the Presiding Officer
On 13 May 2021, Alison Johnstone was the only person to run for the job of Presiding Officer of the 6th Scottish Parliament. She won the vote with 97 "Yes" votes. As the Presiding Officer needs to be fair to everyone, Alison resigned from the Green Party.
Alison is the second woman to hold this important role. The first was Tricia Marwick, who was Presiding Officer from 2011 to 2016. Alison is also the first Green MSP to become Presiding Officer. She is only the second Presiding Officer to be elected without anyone else running against her.
On 14 May 2021, two other MSPs, Annabelle Ewing and Liam McArthur, were elected as Deputy Presiding Officers. This was the first time that none of the top three roles (Presiding Officer or deputies) were held by a Labour or Conservative MSP.
In March 2022, Alison was given the special title 'The Right Honourable' by the Queen. This shows the important role of the Scottish Parliament and its Presiding Officer.
Personal Life
Alison Johnstone is married and has a daughter.
