Iain Smith (Scottish politician)

Iain Smith (born 1 May 1960) is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician, and was Member of the Scottish Parliament for North East Fife until defeated by the SNP's Rod Campbell in 2011.

Smith was educated at Bell Baxter High School in Cupar, Fife before reading Politics and Economics at Newcastle University.

Prior to entering Parliament, Smith worked for Northumberland County Council, managed an Advice Centre in Dundee and was Constituency Assistant to North East Fife MP, Sir Menzies Campbell. Simultaneously, he was a Councillor and Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Fife Council 1986 to 1999.

Smith was elected to the first Scottish Parliament in May 1999 to represent his home constituency of North East Fife and was appointed as Deputy Minister for Parliamentary Business in the government of First Minister Donald Dewar. A post he held until Donald Dewar’s death the following year.

He convened the Parliament’s Procedures Committee from 2003 until 2005 when he was elected Convener of the Education Committee, a position he held until the 2007 Election.

After the election Smith was appointed Scottish Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Europe, External Affairs and Culture and was elected by his colleagues to Chair of the Scottish Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party. In September 2008 he became Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s influential Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee.

Between 2001-2011 he represented the Scottish Parliament as a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly.

Smith was one of four openly gay, lesbian or bisexual MSPs in the 2007-2011 Parliament, along with Patrick Harvie, former MSP Margaret Smith and Joe FitzPatrick.

For the past eight years, Smith has lived with his partner in Ladybank. He has a broad interest in sports, particularly cricket and football. He likes to travel widely and has a keen interest in culture.