Co-Leader of the Greens in the Scottish Parliament
In office 3 March 2019 – 5 May 2021
Serving with Patrick Harvie
Preceded by
Position established[a]
Succeeded by
Lorna Slater
(Co-Leader of the Scottish Greens)
Member of the Scottish Parliament for Lothian (1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 May 2011
Scottish Green portfolios
2011–2021
Health, Sport, Social Security, Children and Young People
Personal details
Born
(1965-10-11) 11 October 1965 (age 58)[1] Edinburgh, Scotland
Political party
Independent (since 2021)[b]
Other political affiliations
Scottish Greens (until May 2021)[2]
Children
1
Website
Official website
Alison Johnstone (born 11 October 1965) is a Scottish politician who has served as the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament since 2021. Elected as a member of the Scottish Greens, she relinquished her party affiliation on becoming Presiding Officer.[2] She has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Lothian region since 2011.[4]
Johnstone was born and raised in Edinburgh, where she attended St. Augustine's High School.[5] She worked as an assistant to Robin Harper, the first ever elected Green Party politician in the UK. In 2007, Johnstone was nominated unopposed as co-convenor of the Scottish Greens, serving alongside Harper. The same year she was elected to the City of Edinburgh Council, representing the Meadows/Morningside ward until 2012. In the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, she was elected as an additional member of the Lothian region. Following the 2019 Scottish Green co-leadership election, Johnstone served as the co-leader within the Scottish Parliament, until the 2021 election.
Following the election to the 6th Scottish Parliament, Johnstone was the only candidate to run for Presiding Officer. She received 97 votes in-favour and was elected unopposed as Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. Johnstone is the second female and first Green Party member to hold the position of office.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
^Chris Marshall and Carla Gray (7 May 2011). "Scottish Parliament election: Profiles of the candidates elected to serve in Edinburgh". Edinburgh Evening News. Archived from the original on 9 May 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
^ abCite error: The named reference holyrod-mag-po-election was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"List of Business - 16 March 2022, Privy Council" (PDF). GOV.UK.
^Lindsey Johnstone (6 May 2011). "Scotland fails to go Green". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
^Cite error: The named reference TQ was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
AlisonJohnstone (born 11 October 1965) is a Scottish politician who has served as the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament since 2021. Elected...
elected alongside Lorna Slater. As Slater was not an MSP at the time, AlisonJohnstone fulfilled her role within the Scottish Parliament, until May 2021....
and two MSPs to serve as deputies. The Presiding Officer (currently AlisonJohnstone) and deputies (currently Annabelle Ewing and Liam McArthur) are elected...
use the style 'Right Honourable'. The current presiding officer is AlisonJohnstone, who was elected on 13 May 2021, following the 2021 Scottish Parliament...
Slater came third in the selection for the Green Party's Lothian list. AlisonJohnstone won 191 first votes, Andy Wightman 133 votes and Slater 36 votes.[citation...
She was replaced by then Edinburgh councillor AlisonJohnstone in November 2007. Robin Harper and Johnstone did not seek re-election in 2008 as co-convenor...
and AlisonJohnstone. However, following her election as the Presiding Officer of the 6th Session of the Scottish Parliament on 13 May 2021, Alison Johnstone...
represented the Scottish Greens in the Scottish Parliament. In May 2021, AlisonJohnstone was elected as Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. As is...
Conservatives 31, Labour 22, Greens 8 (a week later lowered to 7 due to AlisonJohnstone becoming Holyrood's Presiding Officer, which requires one to give up...
of the United Kingdom Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland 2023–present Succeeded by AlisonJohnstone as Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament...
change." Baird stood again in the 2007 election but was not elected. AlisonJohnstone later took over as co-convener. In the 2010 UK general election, Baird...
She was replaced by then Edinburgh councillor AlisonJohnstone in November 2007. Robin Harper and Johnstone did not seek re-election in 2008 as co-convenor...
species status within Scotland after a petition started by Green MSP AlisonJohnstone gathered over 22,000 signatures. In 2021, the People's Trust for Endangered...
James Ogilvy, 4th Earl of Findlater, 1st Earl of Seafield 1714: William Johnstone, 1st Marquess of Annandale 1716: James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose 1733:...
Global Information