Angus Robertson

Angus Struan Carolus Robertson^[2] (Scottish Gaelic: Aonghas Sruthan Teàrlach Mac Raibeart, born 28 September 1969) is the Scottish National Party (SNP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Moray and is the SNP's Parliamentary Group Leader and spokesperson for foreign affairs and defence.

Robertson was the Election Co-ordinator for the Scottish National party's successful 2007 and 2011 Scottish Parliament election campaigns.^[3] On 3 June 2011, he was appointed the SNP's Campaign Director for the Scottish Independence referendum campaign.^[4]

Background

Robertson was born to a Scottish father and German mother in Wimbledon, London and was brought up in Edinburgh. He was educated at Broughton High School, Edinburgh and the University of Aberdeen, where he completed an MA Honours in politics and international relations. He speaks fluent German.^[5] After university he embarked on a journalistic career, and worked as a foreign and diplomatic correspondent in Central Europe for the BBC, Austrian Radio and other leading broadcasters.

House of Commons

Before his election in June 2001 he was the European and International Affairs Adviser to the SNP Group in the Scottish Parliament. During his first parliamentary session, Robertson was Scotland's youngest MP and was rated Scotland's "hardest working MP" according to statistics from the House of Commons.^[6] He is the SNP's spokesman on Defence and International Relations, and is well above average amongst MPs in his contributions to Parliament.^[7] He has consistently been amongst the 30 MPs who claim the most expenses, mainly due to high travel expenses.^[8] Robertson provided Swiss Senator Dick Marty a report containing what he calls 'a detailed report of numerous suspect movements of aircraft transiting through Scotland.^[9] Robertson's main political interests are Scottish independence, international and European affairs, defence, whisky, oil, fishing, sustainable development and youth issues. In May 2007, he became SNP Leader in the House of Commons, following Alex Salmond's election as First Minister of Scotland.^[10]

Expenses claims

Robertson's expenses claims included a television costing £1119, a £400 home cinema system, £500 for a bed, £20 for a corkscrew and £2324 for a sofa bed.^[11] The home cinema system was initially denied by the expenses office, however Robertson appealed this decision and it was subsequently awarded.^[12]

Select committees

• European Scrutiny Committee (2001–2010)

Positions held

Party

• Member, National Executive, Young Scottish Nationalists (1986)
• National organiser, Federation of Student Nationalists (1988)
• Member, SNP International Bureau
• Deputy SNP spokesperson for Constitutional and External Affairs (1998–1999)
• European policy adviser, SNP Group, Scottish Parliament

Parliamentary

• SNP Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and for Defence (2001–present)
• SNP Spokesperson for Europe and for Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (2005–07)
• SNP Westminster Group Deputy Leader (2005–07)
• SNP Westminster Group Leader (2007–present)

Bibliography

• Robertson, Angus (2010). why Vote SNP. Biteback Publishing. pp. 128. ISBN 1-84954-034-9. http://www.amazon.co.uk/why-Vote-SNP-Angus-Robertson/dp/1849540349. 

References

External links

• Constituency website
• Angus Robertson on Twitter

Profiles

• Westminster profile
• SNP profile
• Westminster Group
• BBC News Democracy Live
• STV News profile
• Guardian profile
• Guardian article
• Telegraph profile
• epolitix.com
• They Work For You
• The Public Whip
• Interview: Angus Robertson - politics.co.uk