David Russell Russell-Johnston, Baron Russell-Johnston (born David Russell Johnston; 28 July 1932 – 27 July 2008), usually known as Russell Johnston, was a leading Scottish Liberal Democrat politician and was the Leader of the Scottish Liberal Party from 1974 to 1988.

Early life

David Russell Johnston was born on 28 July 1932 at 39 Palmerston Place, Edinburgh to Georgina Margaret Gerrie (née Russell) and David Knox Johnston, a customs and excise officer. He was educated at

Portree High School Portree High School (Gaelic: ') is a state co-educational comprehensive school in Portree, Isle of Skye in Scotland. , the school enrols 490 pupils and employs 80 teachers and support staff. The school's catchment area draws from 15 primary sc ...

on the

Isle of Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye (; gd, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach or ; sco, Isle o Skye), is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated ...

, and attended the University of Edinburgh, graduating in 1957 with an MA in history. After completing national service in the intelligence corps (1958–9) he trained as a teacher at Moray House College of Education, going on to teach at Liberton High School. In 1961, he won The Observer Mace, speaking with David Harcus and representing the University of Edinburgh.

Political career

He was elected to the House of Commons and represented

Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...

for the Liberal Party (1964–83) and Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Liberal Party (1983–88) and for the Liberal Democrats (1988–97). He also served as leader of the Scottish Liberal Party and as deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats (1988–92). In October 1966, he proposed a bill of federal law in order to deal with the Scotland and Wales case. Johnston was knighted in 1985. In the 1992 election, he made history by holding his seat with just 26% of the vote in a close four-way battle with Labour, the SNP, and the Conservatives. At the time, this was the lowest ever winning percentage for a candidate, until being superseded by Belfast South at the 2015 election. On retiring from the House of Commons in 1997, he was created a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...

as Baron Russell-Johnston of Minginish in Highland, changing his surname by

deed poll A deed poll (plural: deeds poll) is a legal document binding on a single person or several persons acting jointly to express an intention or create an obligation. It is a deed, and not a contract because it binds only one party (law), party. Et ...

to allow his forename to be incorporated into his title. He was a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe from 1985 to his death in 2008, leading the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE-PACE) from 1994–99, and serving as the Assembly's President from 1999 until 2002. In 2003 Alija Izetbegović described him as "a great friend of Bosnia."Inescapable Questions (2003), page.424.

Personal life

In 1967 Johnston married Joan Graham Menzies a bank clerk, and together they had three sons. Lord Russell-Johnston collapsed and died in a Paris street on 27 July 2008, the day before his 76th birthday. He had been diagnosed with cancer, for which he was receiving chemotherapy. While undergoing treatment he continued to work on human rights issues for the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...

. At the time of his death he and his wife had been estranged for over ten years, although they remained close friends.

References

Obituaries

Obituary
guardian.co.uk, 29 July 2008; accessed 12 February 2016.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnston, Russell 1932 births 2008 deaths People from the Isle of Skye Knights Bachelor Leaders of political parties in Scotland Scottish schoolteachers Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Scottish Liberal Party MPs Scottish Liberal Democrat MPs Russell-Johnston Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Highland constituencies Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe UK MPs 1964–1966 UK MPs 1966–1970 UK MPs 1970–1974 UK MPs 1974 UK MPs 1974–1979 UK MPs 1979–1983 UK MPs 1983–1987 UK MPs 1987–1992 UK MPs 1992–1997 Deaths from cancer in France Liberal Party (UK) MEPs MEPs for the United Kingdom 1973–1979 Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 2nd Class People educated at Portree High School Politicians awarded knighthoods Life peers created by Elizabeth II