George Reid (Scottish politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Sir George Reid KT FRSE
Official portrait, 2003
Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament
In office 7 May 2003 – 14 May 2007
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Deputy	Murray Tosh Trish Godman
Preceded by	David Steel
Succeeded by	Alex Fergusson
Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament
In office 12 May 1999 – 7 May 2003 Serving with Patricia Ferguson (1999–2001) and Murray Tosh (2001–2003)
Presiding Officer	David Steel
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Alasdair Morgan
Parliamentary offices Member of the Scottish Parliament for Ochil In office 3 May 2003 – 7 May 2007 Preceded by Richard Simpson Succeeded by Keith Brown Member of the Scottish Parliament for Mid Scotland and Fife (1 of 7 Regional MSPs) In office 1 May 1999 – 3 May 2003 Member of Parliament for Clackmannan and Eastern Stirlingshire In office 28 February 1974 – 7 April 1979 Preceded by Dick Douglas Succeeded by Martin O'Neill
Personal details
Born	George Newlands Reid (1939-06-04) 4 June 1939 (age 86) Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, Scotland
Political party	Scottish National Party
Alma mater	University of St Andrews Union College

Sir George Newlands Reid was born on June 4, 1939. He is a Scottish politician and journalist. He was the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament from 2003 to 2007.

Sir George was a member of the Scottish National Party (SNP). He served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Mid Scotland and Fife area from 1999 to 2003. Later, he represented the Ochil area from 2003 to 2007. Before that, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire from 1974 to 1979.

Early Life and Education

George Reid was born in Tullibody, near Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland. His father was a company director, and his mother was Margaret Forsyth.

He went to Tullibody School and Dollar Academy. He then studied at the University of St Andrews, where he earned a degree in History in 1962. He continued his studies in Switzerland and at Union College in the United States. There, he received a diploma in international relations, which is about how countries work together.

Career as a Journalist

Before becoming a politician, Sir George Reid worked as a journalist. He was a broadcast journalist and television producer for major news companies like the BBC, Granada Television, and Scottish Television. He also wrote for several newspapers.

During his time as a producer, he made over 200 television documentaries. One of them, Contract 736, won an Emmy award. This documentary was about building the famous ship, the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2.

Helping People Worldwide

After his time in the UK Parliament, he returned to journalism for a short period. He presented a show called Agenda for BBC Scotland. He also produced a very important report by Michael Buerk about the Ethiopian famine in 1984. This report helped inspire the huge charity music campaigns, Band Aid and Live Aid.

Because of his work, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent hired him. He joined an international team that helped people during disasters. For example, he responded to the 1988 Armenian earthquake. He worked for 12 years as the Director of Public Affairs for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent. He was based in Geneva, Switzerland, but he traveled all over the world to help in conflict and disaster areas.

Political Journey

Early Steps in Politics

George Reid first became a politician in 1974. He was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Scottish National Party (SNP) in the February 1974 general election. He represented the area of Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire.

He won again in the October 1974 election. However, he lost his seat by a small number of votes in the 1979 general election.

While he was an MP, he was also part of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Western European Union. These groups involve politicians from different European countries working together.

Joining the Scottish Parliament

In 1995, George Reid became more involved in Scottish politics again. He gave a speech at the SNP conference, sharing his ideas about how a Scottish Parliament could be successful.

When the new Labour government planned to create a Scottish Parliament, Reid helped with the early planning. He was then elected in the first election in 1999. He became a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Mid Scotland and Fife region.

At the very first meeting of the Scottish Parliament, he ran for the position of Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. He lost to Sir David Steel but was then elected as a Deputy Presiding Officer.

Sir George Reid with Elizabeth II at the opening of the 2nd Scottish Parliament in 2003.

Leading the Scottish Parliament

In the 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Sir George Reid won the Ochil constituency election. After that, his fellow MSPs chose him to be the new Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. This role is like being the speaker of the parliament, making sure debates are fair.

Because the Presiding Officer must be fair to all parties, Sir George temporarily stopped being a member of the SNP during his time in this role.

As Presiding Officer, he also advised the Queen. He became a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in 2004. He oversaw the completion of the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood and the move into the new building in 2004. At the official opening, he gave a speech praising the building's design and encouraging politicians to be inspired by it.

He also helped create a Scottish Futures Forum. This group helps politicians from different parties think about Scotland's long-term future. He became the President of the Royal Commonwealth Society Scotland and a Patron of the Scottish Disability Equality Forum.

After Being Presiding Officer

Sir George Reid decided not to run for re-election in 2007. After leaving the Scottish Parliament, he was asked to review how the Northern Ireland Assembly was run. He also joined a diplomatic group for the European Union that focused on the Caucasus and Caspian Sea regions.

In April 2007, he was given the special title of Freeman of the County of Clackmannanshire. His portrait was taken by the famous photographer Harry Benson that same year.

In May 2008, he was appointed as the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. This means he was the Queen's personal representative to the Church of Scotland for that year. This is a very important ceremonial position in Scotland.

From 2008 to 2011, he was an independent adviser on the Scottish Ministerial Code, which sets rules for government ministers. In 2009, he was appointed by the National Trust for Scotland to review how they were managed. He also became Her Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of Clackmannanshire, a representative of the monarch in his home area.

He served as an Electoral Commissioner from 2010 to 2014, helping to oversee elections. In 2013, he had major surgery for bladder cancer. He recovered well after resigning from his positions at that time.

Awards and Honours

Sir George Reid has received many awards and honours for his work:

• After helping with relief efforts for the 1988 Armenian earthquake, he received the Gold Medal of the Supreme Soviet of Armenia and the Pirogov Gold Medal of the USSR.
• During his time as Presiding Officer, he won the Herald newspaper's Scottish Politician of the Year award in 2003 and 2005. He was the first person to win it twice. He also received a lifetime achievement award in 2013.
• He was made a Free man of Clackmannanshire in 2007.
• He has received several honorary doctorates from universities, including the University of St Andrews (2005), Queen Margaret University (2006), the University of Edinburgh (2007), and the University of Stirling (2008).
• He was knighted in 2012 for his services to Scottish politics and public life.
• In 2015, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE), which is a group of leading experts in Scotland.
• On June 10, 2022, Sir George Reid was appointed a Knight of the Order of the Thistle (KT). This is one of the highest honours in Scotland.