Scottish National Party politician
Colin George Keir (born 9 December 1959) is a Scottish politician, formerly the Scottish National Party (SNP) Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Edinburgh Western constituency from 2011 to 2016. Before being elected as a MSP, he was a councillor.
Early life
Keir was born on 9 December 1959[1] in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was educated at Craigmount High School and Stevenson College.[2] He is a former Scottish Schools 5000 metres champion and cross-country international.
Political career
Between 2007 and 2012 he was a councillor for Drum Brae/Gyle ward on The City of Edinburgh Council. He was Convener of the council's Regulatory Committee.[3]
Keir contested the seat of Edinburgh Western in the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, and defeated the Liberal Democrat incumbent Margaret Smith with a substantial swing to win with a margin of 2,689 votes.[4]
In August 2015, after serving just one term, Keir was defeated in his attempt to be re-nominated as the SNP candidate in Edinburgh Western for the 2016 election. Keir was beaten by Toni Giugliano, a member of the party's national executive committee, who had received the backing of former leader Alex Salmond.[5] During his campaign for re-selection Keir had issued campaign literature emphasising his support for a second independence referendum.
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