William Cowan Rennie (born 27 September 1967), commonly known as Willie Rennie, is a Scottish politician who served as the Leader of the
Scottish Liberal Democrats
The Scottish Liberal Democrats ( gd, Pàrtaidh Libearal Deamocratach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Leeberal Democrats) is a liberal, federalist political party in Scotland, a part of the United Kingdom Liberal Democrats. The party currently holds 4 o ...
from
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
to
2021. He has served as the
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; gd, Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, BPA; sco, Memmer o the Scots Pairliament, MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.
Electoral system
The ad ...
(MSP) for
North East Fife since
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, and previously as a list MSP for
Mid Scotland and Fife (from 2011 to 2016) and as
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) for
Dunfermline and West Fife
Dunfermline and West Fife is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created for the 2005 general election from all of the old Dunfermline West and parts of the old Dunfermlin ...
(from
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
to
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
).
After college, Rennie was a Liberal Democrat election campaigner and official before working as a
public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...
consultant in the private sector. He became the MP for Dunfermline and West Fife after a by-election win in February 2006. He later lost this seat to the
Labour Party at the
2010 general election. He briefly served as a
Special Government Adviser for the Liberal Democrat
Scottish Secretaries of State Danny Alexander
Sir Daniel Grian Alexander (born 15 May 1972) is a former politician who was Chief Secretary to the Treasury between 2010 and 2015. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey constituency from 2005 u ...
and
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and left-wing activist. His works frequently address the topics of globalization and capitalism.
Moore won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ' ...
at the
Scotland Office
The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland ( gd, Oifis Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba), often referred to as, and formerly officially called, the Scotland Office, is a department of His Majesty's Government headed by the Secretary of Sta ...
.
He was then elected to the
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...
in the May 2011 election. He was elected as an
additional member for the Mid Scotland and Fife region. He was soon after elected unopposed as leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, replacing
Tavish Scott
Tavish Hamilton Scott (born 6 May 1966) is a former Scottish politician. He was the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Shetland from 1999 to 2019, and Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 2008 to 2011. He stepped down as Lead ...
. At the
2016 Scottish Parliament election
The 2016 Scottish parliament election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2016 to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the fifth election held since the devolved parliament was established in 1999. It was the first parliamentary electi ...
, Rennie was elected MSP for the constituency seat of
North East Fife. Rennie was re-elected in the
2021 Scottish Parliament election
The 2021 Scottish Parliament election took place on 6 May 2021, under the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998. All 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament were elected in the sixth election since the parliament was re-established in 1999. The ele ...
, but resigned as Lib Dem leader two months later and was replaced by
Alex Cole-Hamilton
Alexander Geoffrey Cole-Hamilton (born 22 July 1977) is a Scottish politician who has served as Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats since 2021 and the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Edinburgh Western constituency since 2 ...
.
Early life and education
Rennie was born on 27 September 1967, in
Fife
Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
, to Peta and Alexander Rennie. He grew up in
Strathmiglo
Strathmiglo ( gd, Srath Mioglach) (Ordnance Survey ) is a village and parish in Fife, Scotland on the River Eden. It lies on the old A91 road from Milnathort to Cupar and St. Andrews but was bypassed by a new road to the north in the 1970s. N ...
, where his family ran the village shop and still live today. His mother was secretary of the local community association and his grandfather was the local
Minister.
Rennie went to
Bell Baxter High School
Bell Baxter High School is a non-denominational comprehensive school for 11 to 18-year-olds in Cupar, Fife, Scotland. Founded in 1889, it educates over 1,500 pupils mainly from the surrounding villages.
The school is one of 18 secondary sc ...
in
Cupar, Fife
Cupar ( ; gd, Cùbar) is a town, former royal burgh and parish in Fife, Scotland. It lies between Dundee and Glenrothes. According to a 2011 population estimate, Cupar had a population around 9,000, making it the ninth-largest settlement in F ...
, before going to
Paisley College of Technology
, mottoeng = Learning is success
, established = 1897 (as Paisley College of Technology) 1992 (granted university status) 2007 (renamed to UWS)
, former_names = Paisley College of Technology, Paisley Co ...
, where he graduated with a BSc in biology. After that, he received a Diploma in Industrial Administration at
City of Glasgow College
The City of Glasgow College (Scottish Gaelic: ''Colaiste Baile Glaschu'') is a further and higher education college in the city of Glasgow. It was founded in 2010 when the Central College, Glasgow Metropolitan College, and the Glasgow Colle ...
.
Rennie lives in
Kelty
Kelty (Scottish Gaelic: Cailtidh) is a former coal mining village located in Fife, Scotland. Lying in the heart of the old mining heartlands of Fife, it is situated on the Fife/Kinross-shire boundary and has a population of around 6,000 r ...
with his wife Janet and their two sons, Alexander and Stephen. He is a keen runner and is a member of
Dunfermline
Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Accord ...
's PH Racing Club. He was also runner-up in the 2006 Scottish Coal-Carrying Championships held in Kelty. Rennie was one of the 50 MPs who ran a mile to raise money for
Sport Relief
''Sport Relief'' was a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, established in 2002.
It was the idea of Kevin Cahill, CBE, who had joined Comic Relief in 1991 to establish a new department as Director of Educat ...
finishing close behind the winner,
David Davies.
Political career
Early political career: 1990–2001
While a student at the
Paisley College of Technology
, mottoeng = Learning is success
, established = 1897 (as Paisley College of Technology) 1992 (granted university status) 2007 (renamed to UWS)
, former_names = Paisley College of Technology, Paisley Co ...
he was deputy president of the
student union. Rennie ran the Scottish Young Liberal Democrats (later reformed as
Liberal Youth Scotland) and after graduation went on to work for the
English Liberal Democrats
The English Liberal Democrats, officially the ''Liberal Democrats in England'', is the state party within the Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrats that operates in England. It is a federation of the eleven Regions of England, regional part ...
in
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
.
He then went on to work for the
Liberal Democrats'
campaigns department, and was the successful
agent
Agent may refer to:
Espionage, investigation, and law
*, spies or intelligence officers
* Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another
** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuranc ...
in the
1993 Christchurch by-election
A by-election was held in the British House of Commons constituency of Christchurch on 29 July 1993 following the death of sitting Conservative MP Robert Adley.
The result was a gain for the Liberal Democrats, notable for the swing necessar ...
in
Dorset
Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...
.
After managing the party's campaigns in the
South West England
South West England, or the South West of England, is one of nine official regions of England. It consists of the counties of Bristol, Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly), Dorset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Cities and ...
region, securing the return of a sizeable number of new MPs in the
1997 General Election, he moved back to Scotland where he was Chief Executive of the
Scottish Liberal Democrats
The Scottish Liberal Democrats ( gd, Pàrtaidh Libearal Deamocratach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Leeberal Democrats) is a liberal, federalist political party in Scotland, a part of the United Kingdom Liberal Democrats. The party currently holds 4 o ...
from 1997 to 1999, and then the party's
Chief of Staff
The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
in the new
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...
from 1999–2001.
McEwan Purvis: 2001–2006
From 2001 to 2006 he worked for the small Scottish communications firm
McEwan Purvis as an account director helping advise businesses and charities such as the
Royal Society of Chemistry
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is a learned society (professional association) in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemistry, chemical sciences". It was formed in 1980 from the amalgamation of the Chemical Society, the Ro ...
and
Asthma UK
Asthma UK is a British charity based in London.
History
The Asthma Research Council was started in 1927. At that time the annual income was between £1,000 and £4,000 a year. One of the first donations was used to pay for special asthma clinics ...
. During his time at McEwan Purvis, Rennie was a press adviser to
Fife Council
Fife Council is the local authority for the Fife area of Scotland and is the third largest Scottish council, with 75 elected council members.
Councillors are generally elected every five years. At the 2012 election there were 78 councillors ele ...
's Liberal Democrat Opposition Group and a member of the Dunfermline Focus editorial team, working with Dunfermline's Lib Dem councillors on local issues.
Member of Parliament: 2006–2010
After Labour MP
Rachel Squire
Rachel Anne Squire (13 July 1954 – 5 January 2006) was a British Labour politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Dunfermline West in Scotland from 1992 general election to 2005, and then for Dunfermline and West Fife from 2005 ...
died, Rennie stood in the
Dunfermline and West Fife by-election
The Dunfermline and West Fife by-election was held on 9 February 2006, following the death of the sitting Labour MP Rachel Squire, on 6 January. The by-election was the first seat to change hands in the 2005 Parliament, when Willie Rennie wo ...
on 9 February 2006 and overturned a Labour majority of 11,800 to win the seat with a swing to his party of 16.24%. In the House of Commons, he was a member of the Liberal Democrat defence spokesperson team, chair of their parliamentary campaigns unit, and a member of the
Commons Defence Select Committee.
During his time as an MP, he campaigned on local constituency issues such as abolishing the bridge tolls, banning sex offenders from being driving instructors in 2008, improvements to cancer services at
Queen Margaret Hospital
Queen Margaret Hospital is a hospital located in the town of Dunfermline in Fife, Scotland. It is managed by NHS Fife.
History
The hospital was commissioned to replace the Milesmark Hospital, the Dunfermline and West Fife District Hospital ...
, and local jobs (including at
Longannet Power Station
Longannet power station was a large coal-fired power station in Fife, and the last coal-fired power station in Scotland. It was capable of co-firing biomass, natural gas and sludge. The station stood on the north bank of the Firth of Forth, nea ...
and
Rosyth Dockyard
Rosyth Dockyard is a large naval dockyard on the Firth of Forth at Rosyth, Fife, Scotland, owned by Babcock Marine, which formerly undertook refitting of Royal Navy surface vessels and submarines. Before its privatisation in the 1990s it was fo ...
).
In the
General Election of 6 May 2010, Rennie lost his seat to the Labour candidate
Thomas Docherty.
Special Adviser and consultant: 2010–2011
He was then for a time
Special Adviser to the new Liberal Democrat Scottish Secretary
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and left-wing activist. His works frequently address the topics of globalization and capitalism.
Moore won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ' ...
MP.
Elected MSP and Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats: since 2011
Rennie returned to front-line politics as an
MSP when he won a regional list seat for the Liberal Democrats in the Scottish Parliament's
Mid Scotland and Fife region at the Holyrood elections on 5 May 2011. He was the only new Liberal Democrat MSP to win a seat in this election.
After the resignation of leader
Tavish Scott
Tavish Hamilton Scott (born 6 May 1966) is a former Scottish politician. He was the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Shetland from 1999 to 2019, and Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 2008 to 2011. He stepped down as Lead ...
, Rennie stood in the
resulting leadership election. He was the only candidate to be nominated, and was declared elected when the nominations closed on 17 May. He vowed to stand up to the "
SNP bulldozer" majority, and refused to distance his party from the UK
Liberal Democrats.
During the
2014 Scottish independence referendum
A referendum on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom was held in Scotland on 18 September 2014. The referendum question was, "Should Scotland be an independent country?", which voters answered with "Yes" or "No". The "No" side w ...
, Rennie campaigned alongside
Better Together to remain in the United Kingdom. He opposes a second independence referendum, favouring a more federal UK.
In the
2016 Scottish Parliament election
The 2016 Scottish parliament election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2016 to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the fifth election held since the devolved parliament was established in 1999. It was the first parliamentary electi ...
, the Liberal Democrats again elected five MSPs, while gaining two constituency seats and holding their existing two with increased majorities. Rennie was elected in
North East Fife, gaining it from the SNP with a 9.5% swing.
Rennie was re-elected in North East Fife for the
2021 Scottish Parliament election
The 2021 Scottish Parliament election took place on 6 May 2021, under the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998. All 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament were elected in the sixth election since the parliament was re-established in 1999. The ele ...
, with doubled majority. On 12 July 2021, Rennie announced his resignation as leader of the
Scottish Liberal Democrats
The Scottish Liberal Democrats ( gd, Pàrtaidh Libearal Deamocratach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Leeberal Democrats) is a liberal, federalist political party in Scotland, a part of the United Kingdom Liberal Democrats. The party currently holds 4 o ...
, effective from September. He was replaced by
Alex Cole-Hamilton
Alexander Geoffrey Cole-Hamilton (born 22 July 1977) is a Scottish politician who has served as Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats since 2021 and the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Edinburgh Western constituency since 2 ...
, the MSP for
Edinburgh Western.
Home Rule commission plan
In September 2011, Rennie announced plans for a commission building on the work of the
Lord Steel
David Martin Scott Steel, Baron Steel of Aikwood, (born 31 March 1938) is a British politician. Elected as Member of Parliament for Roxburgh, Selkirk, and Peebles, followed by Tweeddale, Ettrick, and Lauderdale, he served as the final leade ...
Commission to develop a blueprint for
Home Rule
Home rule is government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governance wit ...
and
full fiscal federalism that would map out further devolution of powers after the
Scotland Bill 2011 was passed into statute.
Armed Forces Legal Action
Willie Rennie was appointed as an honorary patron of Armed Forces Legal Action (AFLA) in April 2014. AFLA is a network of British law firms offering discounted legal services to members of the British military community, founded by Scottish solicitor and former Scottish Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Allan Steele,
WS.
References
External links
*
Willie Rennie MSP's official website
Willie Rennie MSPofficial Liberal Democrats profile
Willie Rennie MSPofficial Scottish Liberal Democrats profile
Dunfermline and West Fife Liberal Democrats*
BBC Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rennie, Willie
1967 births
Living people
Alumni of the University of the West of Scotland
British special advisers
Leaders of the Scottish Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats (UK) officials
Liberal Democrat MSPs
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Fife constituencies
Members of the Scottish Parliament 2011–2016
Members of the Scottish Parliament 2016–2021
Members of the Scottish Parliament 2021–2026
People educated at Bell Baxter High School
People from Fife
Place of birth missing (living people)
Scottish chief executives
Scottish Liberal Democrat MPs
UK MPs 2005–2010