Russell Johnston

For other people with this or similar names, see Russell Johnson (disambiguation).

Russell Johnston (right) shares a joke with David Steel at the Liberal Party Assembly in 1987

David Russell Russell-Johnston, Baron Russell-Johnston, (28 July 1932 - 27 July 2008)^[1] usually known as Russell Johnston, was a leading Scottish Liberal Democrat politician.

Early life

Russell Johnston was born in Edinburgh and educated at Portree High School on the Isle of Skye. He later attended Edinburgh University (graduating with a Master of Arts in history in 1957) and Moray House College of Education, before working as a schoolteacher.

In 1961, he won The Observer Mace, speaking with David Harcus and respresenting The University of Edinburgh. In 1995, the competition was renamed the John Smith Memorial Mace and is now run by the English-Speaking Union.

Political career

He was elected to the House of Commons and represented Inverness for the Liberal Party (1964–1983) and Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Liberal Party (1983–1988) and for the Liberal Democrats (1988–1997). He also served as leader of the Scottish Liberal Party and as deputy leader of the ^[2]Liberal Democrats (1988–1992).

In October 1966, he proposed a bill of federal law in order to deal with the Scotland and Wales case.^{[citation needed]}

He was knighted in 1985.^[3]

In the 1992 election, he made history by holding his seat with just 26% of the vote -the lowest percentage ever for a winning candidate- in a close four-way battle with Labour, the SNP, and the Conservatives.

Upon his retirement from the House of Commons in 1997, he was created a life peer as Baron Russell-Johnston of Minginish in Highland, changing his surname by deed poll to allow his forename to be incorporated into his title.^[3]

He was member of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly from 1985 to his death in 2008,^[4] leading the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE-PACE) from 1994 to 1999, and sitting as the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe from 1999 until 2002.

Personal life

He lived for some years in Dolphin Square in London.

Johnston married Joan Graham Menzies in 1967. They had three sons. At the time of his death, Lord and Lady Russell-Johnston had been estranged for over ten years, but remained close to one another.^[5]

Lord Russell-Johnston died on the eve of his 76th birthday. He had been suffering from cancer, for which he was receiving chemotherapy, but had continued to work on human rights issues for the Council of Europe. He collapsed and died in a street in Paris.^[5]

References

1. ^ "Former Scots Liberal leader dies". BBC News (British Broadcasting Corporation). 2008-07-27. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7528017.stm. Retrieved 2008-07-27. 
2. ^ ALDE-PACE Group web-site: www.alde-pace.org
3. ^ ^{a b} Simpson, Aislinn (2008-07-28). "Liberal Democrat Lord Russell-Johnston dies on eve of 76th birthday". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2463949/Liberal-Democrat-Lord-Russell-Johnston-dies-on-eve-of-76th-birthday.html. Retrieved 2008-07-28. 
4. ^ Council of Europe
5. ^ ^{a b} "Tributes as ex-Liberal leader dies in street". The Scotsman. 2008-07-28. http://news.scotsman.com/politics/Tributes-as-exLiberal-leader-.4329629.jp. Retrieved 2008-07-28. 

Obituaries

• 'The Guardian

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Russell Johnston

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Neil McLean	Member of Parliament for Inverness 1964–1983	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber 1983–1997	Constituency abolished
Party political offices
Preceded by George Mackie	Chairman of the Scottish Liberal Party 1970–1974	Succeeded by Menzies Campbell
Preceded by ?	Leader of the Scottish Liberal Party 1974–1988	Succeeded by Malcolm Bruce Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats
Preceded by Alan Beith Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party ? Deputy Leader of the Social Democratic Party	Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats 1988–1992	Succeeded by Alan Beith
Preceded by George Mackie as President of the Scottish Liberal Party	President of the Scottish Liberal Democrats 1988–1994	Succeeded by ?
Political offices
Preceded by Leni Fischer	President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe 1999–2002	Succeeded by Peter Schieder

Persondata
Name	Johnston, Russell
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1932
Place of birth
Date of death	2008
Place of death