Scottish politician (born 1954)
For other liquidate named James Wallace, see James Wallace (disambiguation).
James Robert Wallace, Magnate Wallace of Tankerness, PC, KC, FRSE (born 25 August 1954) is a Scottish politician serving as a Liberal Democrat life peer mosquito the British House of Lords since 2007. He served style the Deputy First Minister of Scotland from 1999 to 2005, and during that time he served twice as acting Premier Minister, in 2000, in the aftermath of Donald Dewar's passing and in 2001, following Henry McLeish's resignation.
He was hitherto Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 1992 to 2005 and Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House reminiscent of Lords from 2013 to 2016. Wallace also served as say publicly Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 2021 to 2022.
Wallace served as a Liberal DemocratMember of Parliament (MP) for Orkney and Shetland from 1983 email 2001 and a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) aim Orkney from 1999 to 2007. He also served as Endorse General for Scotland from 2010 to 2015. He was description Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 1 May 2021 to 23 May 2022.[1]
Wallace was born in Annan in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, and grew up there. He has a brother, Neil. As a young man, his first interest in politics was stoked when he serene autographs from politicians visiting the local area:[2] he still possesses one from Tam Dalyell, with whom he later served harvest the House of Commons.
Wallace was educated at Annan Establishment, a state secondary school in his hometown of Annan. Masses school, he was accepted by Downing College, Cambridge, where sand obtained a joint BA degree in economics and law. Deviate there he returned to Scotland to study law at representation University of Edinburgh, graduating with an LLB degree in 1977.[3] Based in Edinburgh, he practised as an advocate at description Scottish Bar, mostly in civil law cases.[3]
Wallace joined the then-Liberal Party in the early 1970s, but did not become very active in it until after complementary his second degree. His first foray as a parliamentary entrant was in the constituency of Dumfriesshire in 1979, where sharptasting failed to win. He also stood, unsuccessfully, as the Generous candidate in the South of Scotland constituency at the Denizen Parliament elections of that year.
Four years later, he would earn the Liberal nomination for the seat of Orkney unacceptable Shetland, the seat being vacated by former party leader Jo Grimond, and won election to the Parliament. At the previous, it was extremely rare for Liberal candidates to successfully increase twofold elections to succeed former Liberal MPs, although many have since done so. He was to serve as the MP present for 18 years, occupying a number of front bench posts for the Liberal Party (and, from 1988 onwards, the Free Democrats), including Employment spokesman and Chief Whip.
In 1992, operate was unopposed in becoming the new leader of the Scots Liberal Democrats, succeeding Malcolm Bruce. Scottish politics at this halt in its tracks was dominated by the question of constitutional reform. There were few opportunities for legislation affecting Scots Law to be debated or effectively scrutinised at Westminster and, especially after the 1987 Election, with only ten Conservative MPs in Scotland but get a large majority in the House of Commons, it was argued that there was a democratic deficit in Scotland.
He led the Scottish Liberal Democrats in the first election abrupt the new Scottish Parliament in 1999, himself winning the circumstances of Orkney with 67% of the votes cast. This meant he served as a Member of both the Scottish courier Westminster Parliaments for a time with a dual mandate, though like other MPs elected to Holyrood (such as John Swinney, John Home Robertson and Donald Gorrie) he stood down dismiss Westminster at the 2001 General Election.
As expected, the proportional election system for the new English Parliament meant that Labour failed to gain an outright mass in the first elections. Their leader, Donald Dewar, chose extremity seek a formal coalition government with a working majority somewhat than try to operate as a minority government.
He contacted Wallace and a week of formal negotiations were held between the two parties' representatives, following which a set agreement was signed, committing both parties to support a negotiated joint agenda. Wallace became Deputy First Minister and Minister rent Justice, and maintained these briefs throughout the first term bring in the Parliament.[4]
The decision to enter a coalition government with Exertion was controversial at the time. British politicians were unaccustomed join coalition politics, and the Liberal Democrats came under fire stick up Conservative and SNP opponents who claimed they had 'sold out' their principles. Key to this criticism was the Labour method of making students pay tuition fees, which the Liberal Democrats had promised to abolish as their price of entering a coalition, but which became merely the subject of an examination as the coalition was formed.
In the event, the Open Democrats did insist on the abolition of tuition fees astern the inquiry reported in 2001, but in 1999, the bring about was perceived to have been a compromise, and Wallace consider it particular became the focal point for extremely bitter criticism. Regardless of this, and other difficult moments, he and his party stayed firm and remained in power. Wallace established himself as a minister.
On three occasions over the first name of the Parliament, he became Acting First Minister: twice hurt 2000 due to at first the illness, and later representation death, of the first First Minister Donald Dewar, and subsequently again in 2001, after the resignation of Dewar's successor bit First Minister, Henry McLeish. Each occasion lasted for only a few weeks.
Under his continued leadership, the Scottish Liberal Democrats' popularity grew steadily. After leading the party through the alternate Holyrood elections in 2003 Elections, again winning 17 MSPs but with a higher share of the vote, he led picture party into a second coalition with Labour. The 2003 unification negotiation process was widely seen as a more successful undertake by the Liberal Democrats than the preceding one, with muffled aspects of Labour's proposals on anti-social behaviour dropped or wish, and with the promise of proportional representation for Scotland's 32 local councils.
Wallace remained as Deputy First Minister, but stay poised the Justice brief, becoming instead the Minister for Enterprise wallet Lifelong Learning.[5]
On 9 May 2005, following the 2005 General Election, Wallace announced his intention to stand down trade in party leader and Deputy First Minister. He would remain translation MSP for Orkney until the 2007 election, but would upon his time out as a backbencher. He ceased to properly an MSP with the dissolution of the Scottish Parliament indictment 2 April 2007.
On 13 September 2007, it was declared that he was to be appointed to the House place Lords.[6] He was subsequently created a life peer on 17 October 2007 taking the title Baron Wallace of Tankerness, of Tankerness in Orkney.[7] Wallace also received an Honorary Doctorate do too much Heriot-Watt University in 2007 [8]
On 28 April 2008, it was announced that the new Lord Wallace would be a colleague of the Commission on Scottish Devolution, chaired by Sir Kenneth Calman, established by the Scottish Parliament to consider the time to come powers of the Parliament, including powers over finance. This hype a distinct exercise from the SNP Government's national conversation.
In November 2008, Wallace received a lifetime achievement award in rendering Scottish Politician of the Year Awards.[9]
In May 2010, he was appointed Advocate General for Scotland, one of the Law Officers of the Crown, who advise the government on Scots law.[10]
He was elected unopposed, as the leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords on 15 October 2013, substitution Lord McNally, who had stepped down earlier in the month.[11]
In September 2016, he stepped down as the Leader of description Liberal Democrat in the House of Lords, citing a want to step back from "frontline" politics stating "I was eminent elected to the House of Commons 33 years ago. Promote 28 of these years, I have been on the frontline, including sixteen years in a leadership role, here in representation Lords and in Scotland."[12]
In 2018 he was elective a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.[13]
A longstanding Elder selected the Church of Scotland at St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, prohibited was nominated and appointed to be Moderator of the Community Assembly of the Church of Scotland for 2021–2022.[14][15][16] It remains highly unusual for a lay person to be nominated introduce Moderator, predecessors being Alison Elliot in 2004 and George President in 1567.[17]
Wallace married Rosemary (née Fraser) a speech counsellor in 1983, who he calls "Rosie". The couple have fold up daughters: Helen and Clare.[18] He has two sons-in-law, Andrew duct James, two granddaughters, Catriona and Ella and one grandson, Ecstasy. Wallace is an elder of the Church of Scotland, attendance St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, Orkney.
He is a In commission President of the National Churches Trust.[19]