Alasdair Allan

Infobox MSP
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name = Alasdair Allan
honorific-suffix = MSP


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constituency_MP = Western Isles
parliament = Scottish
majority = 687 (5.0%)
term_start = 3 May 2007
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predecessor = Alasdair Morrison
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birth_date = Birth date and age|1971|5|6|df=yes
birth_place = Ashkirk, Scotland
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party = Scottish National Party
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alma_mater = University of Aberdeen, University of Glasgow
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footnotes = Dr Alasdair Allan (born May 6 1971) is a Scottish National Party politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Western Isles since 2007. He authored the booklet "Talking Independence", which sought to answer questions about Scottish independence, ranging from "What will I pay in tax?" to "Will I still be able to visit relatives in England?" and "Will we still get "Eastenders"?".

A native of Ashkirk, near Selkirk, Alasdair Allan attended Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities and devoted his time and employment to the Scottish National Party [ [http://www.alba.org.uk/snpleadership/200473.html Salmond on brink of victory in SNP leadership battle ] ] (SNP) in Peterhead, working for Alex Salmond MP, now First Minister of Scotland, and he subsequently became assistant to Michael Russell MSP. Allan was the SNP candidate for Gordon at the 2003 Scottish Parliament election. As National Secretary of the SNP, he was responsible in July 2004 for the expulsion of Campbell Martin MSP from the party after Martin had claimed that there was a case for supporters of independence not voting SNP. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/3880887.stm BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Nationalists throw out rebel MSP ] ]

Alasdair Allan was next in line to become a list MSP for North East Scotland when Richard Lochhead resigned to fight the Moray by-election, however he decided instead to devote himself to contesting the Western Isles, a key Labour-SNP marginal seat in the 2007 Scottish Parliamentary election. He relocated to Lewis and resigned his post as SNP National Secretary. [ [http://www.snp.org/independence/because/ Grant Thoms — SNP - Scottish National Party ] ] This move proved successful, as he was elected with 46.6% of the vote — a 5.4% swing from Labour.

He is a speaker and strong supporter of the Scottish Gaelic and Lowland Scots languages and holds a PhD on the latter language.

References

External links

* [http://alasdairallanmsp.com/ Alasdair Allan's website]

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HighlandsIslands MSPs
* [http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/membersPages/alasdair_allan/index.htm Profile on Scottish Parliament website]