301:
reported senior party figures were furious that O'Donnell did not speak to leader Tavish Scott before deciding to quit. A senior
Liberal Democrat source said: "He didn't even pick up the phone to the party leader. Apparently he's been unhappy for some time. He is not going to be missed and we will be
291:
to progress, despite support from medical, health, police and victim support groups. He wrote: "I have fought the leadership as hard as I could, but I am just too tired to do it any more... This is not the same party I joined, full of enthusiasm, all those years ago... I can no longer be party to the
286:
for
Westminster elections on the same day as the Scottish parliamentary election. He also complained that the Scottish Lib Dem group had voted tactically against the SNP's proposed policy on minimum pricing on alcohol, rather than on principle. In 2010, the policy failed to win enough support in
274:
O'Donnell said he and his erstwhile MSP colleagues had been told not to air grievances about the
Westminster coalition. He said: "Not a word of criticism from the party leadership in Scotland has been uttered - even though the contempt shown for Scotland and, indeed, the federal structure of the
270:
and said founding principles have been "subsumed" by a desire for position and power. The leadership could no longer be regarded as "either
Liberal or Democratic", he said, adding: "The greatest betrayal of all, of course, is the alliance formed in London between the Lib Dems and the Tories." He
271:
said: "Since that fateful day, I have watched helplessly from the sidelines as this
Government at Westminster has attacked every vulnerable group in Scotland, from carers to disabled students to migrants, with some of the most draconian policies I have ever seen in the name of cuts.
292:
control freakery, the 'image is everything' attitude, and the dictatorial style of doing things... It is a party I no longer want to be part of and neither should other principled
Liberals."
214:
713:
266:
O'Donnell criticised the fact that there has not been enough opposition from the
Scottish party towards the coalition government policy. He was critical of the party's then Scottish leader
236:
O'Donnell had a particular interest in disability rights issues, minority groups' rights and social issues. Outside politics, Hugh's interests are reading, historical research, DIY and
252:
217:, coming a distant third. He was one of only eight Scots chosen by the United Nations to supervise the first ever free elections in the former Yugoslavian province of Kosovo in 2001.
157:
40:
493:
225:
O'Donnell was a member of both the
Scottish and Federal policy committees and held the position of Vice Convenor and Treasurer of the Central Scotland Liberal Democrats.
279:
206:
Prior to his election he worked in retail, property, as a college lecturer, a constituency assistant to Donald Gorrie MSP, and as a community care professional.
718:
423:
723:
486:
616:
391:
479:
200:
596:
172:
536:
556:
256:
251:
On 26 March 2011, O'Donnell announced his decision to leave the
Liberal Democrats. He had been the leading candidate in the party's
210:
180:
153:
146:
35:
703:
591:
708:
322:
375:
511:
100:
628:
196:
150:
466:
611:
551:
427:
260:
698:
176:
168:
354:
401:
455:
693:
192:
561:
519:
288:
283:
297:
183:, when he stood as an independent candidate and was not re-elected, having won only 821 votes.
228:
He was once the
Scottish Liberal Democrat Deputy Spokesperson on Education and Young People.
243:
O'Donnell is a widower with no partner and has two grown-up children: a son and a daughter.
645:
459:
662:
566:
687:
633:
606:
546:
161:
586:
581:
571:
267:
332:
601:
576:
541:
471:
672:
167:
He resigned from the party on 27 March 2011 unhappy with the direction of his
657:
396:
327:
90:
237:
86:
278:
O'Donnell expressed his unhappiness with the decision to hold a
475:
452:
424:"MSP quits Lib Dems in protest - Scotland on Sunday"
203:) and has an HND and a BA (Hons) in Communications.
160:
region. He was previously an aide to the former MSP
507:
142:(born 1 May 1952) is a former Scottish politician.
125:
117:
109:
96:
70:
65:
34:
23:
323:"Scottish election: Lib Dem candidate quits party"
317:
315:
487:
355:"Scotland elections: Central Scotland region"
8:
714:Members of the Scottish Parliament 2007–2011
494:
480:
472:
280:referendum on whether the Alternative Vote
20:
311:
465:Scottish Parliament profiles of MSPs:
36:Member of the Scottish Parliament
302:a far more united team without him."
201:Southern Connecticut State University
181:May 2011 Scottish Parliament election
7:
211:Scottish Parliament election in 1999
193:Falkirk College of Further Education
719:Alumni of Queen Margaret University
105:Independent (March 2011- May 2011)
14:
724:21st-century Scottish politicians
154:Member of the Scottish Parliament
57:3 May 2007 – 6 May 2011
400:. 27 March 2011. Archived from
392:"Lib Dem quits over 'betrayal'"
331:. 27 March 2011. Archived from
257:2011 Holyrood election campaign
175:in Westminster. He sat as an
1:
259:, but decided to stand as an
502:Former Liberal Democrat MSPs
508:By date first representing
282:should replace traditional
740:
191:O'Donnell was educated at
101:Scottish Liberal Democrats
263:candidate in the region.
145:O'Donnell was elected in
133:
113:Deceased 25 February 2013
61:
50:
30:
458:10 December 2015 at the
275:party knows no bounds."
247:Departure from the party
704:People from Cumbernauld
215:Cumbernauld and Kilsyth
173:UK Coalition Government
197:Queen Margaret College
45:(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
709:Liberal Democrat MSPs
253:Central Scotland list
199:(in partnership with
562:John Farquhar Munro
521:Scottish Parliament
380:BBC News- Vote 2001
284:first-past-the-post
16:Scottish politician
467:Hugh O'Donnell
298:Scotland on Sunday
103:(until March 2011)
681:
680:
513:Liberal Democrats
209:He contested the
137:
136:
731:
522:
514:
496:
489:
482:
473:
462:official website
440:
439:
437:
435:
430:on 29 April 2011
426:. Archived from
420:
414:
413:
411:
409:
404:on 7 August 2011
388:
382:
373:
367:
366:
364:
362:
351:
345:
344:
342:
340:
319:
158:Central Scotland
151:Liberal Democrat
84:
80:
78:
66:Personal details
55:
46:
41:Central Scotland
21:
739:
738:
734:
733:
732:
730:
729:
728:
684:
683:
682:
677:
646:Andrew Arbuckle
520:
517:
512:
509:
503:
500:
460:Wayback Machine
449:
444:
443:
433:
431:
422:
421:
417:
407:
405:
390:
389:
385:
374:
370:
360:
358:
353:
352:
348:
338:
336:
335:on 19 July 2012
321:
320:
313:
308:
249:
234:
223:
221:Party positions
189:
104:
97:Political party
85:
82:
76:
74:
56:
51:
44:
43:
38:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
737:
735:
727:
726:
721:
716:
711:
706:
701:
696:
686:
685:
679:
678:
676:
675:
670:
668:Hugh O'Donnell
665:
663:Alison McInnes
660:
655:
648:
643:
636:
631:
626:
619:
614:
609:
604:
599:
597:Margaret Smith
594:
589:
584:
579:
574:
569:
567:Nora Radcliffe
564:
559:
554:
549:
544:
539:
534:
526:
524:
505:
504:
501:
499:
498:
491:
484:
476:
470:
469:
463:
453:Hugh O'Donnell
448:
447:External links
445:
442:
441:
415:
383:
376:Hugh O'Donnell
368:
346:
310:
309:
307:
304:
248:
245:
233:
230:
222:
219:
188:
185:
179:MSP until the
156:(MSP) for the
140:Hugh O'Donnell
135:
134:
131:
130:
127:
123:
122:
119:
115:
114:
111:
107:
106:
98:
94:
93:
72:
68:
67:
63:
62:
59:
58:
48:
47:
32:
31:
28:
27:
25:Hugh O'Donnell
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
736:
725:
722:
720:
717:
715:
712:
710:
707:
705:
702:
700:
699:Living people
697:
695:
692:
691:
689:
674:
671:
669:
666:
664:
661:
659:
656:
654:
653:
649:
647:
644:
642:
641:
637:
635:
634:Jeremy Purvis
632:
630:
627:
625:
624:
620:
618:
615:
613:
610:
608:
607:Nicol Stephen
605:
603:
600:
598:
595:
593:
590:
588:
585:
583:
580:
578:
575:
573:
570:
568:
565:
563:
560:
558:
555:
553:
550:
548:
547:Donald Gorrie
545:
543:
540:
538:
535:
533:
532:
528:
527:
525:
523:
515:
506:
497:
492:
490:
485:
483:
478:
477:
474:
468:
464:
461:
457:
454:
451:
450:
446:
429:
425:
419:
416:
403:
399:
398:
393:
387:
384:
381:
377:
372:
369:
357:. 11 May 2011
356:
350:
347:
334:
330:
329:
324:
318:
316:
312:
305:
303:
300:
299:
293:
290:
285:
281:
276:
272:
269:
264:
262:
258:
254:
246:
244:
241:
239:
231:
229:
226:
220:
218:
216:
212:
207:
204:
202:
198:
194:
186:
184:
182:
178:
174:
170:
165:
163:
162:Donald Gorrie
159:
155:
152:
148:
143:
141:
132:
128:
124:
120:
116:
112:
108:
102:
99:
95:
92:
88:
83:(age 72)
73:
69:
64:
60:
54:
49:
42:
37:
33:
29:
22:
19:
667:
651:
650:
639:
638:
629:Mike Pringle
622:
621:
587:Tavish Scott
582:Mike Rumbles
572:Keith Raffan
537:Robert Brown
530:
529:
432:. Retrieved
428:the original
418:
406:. Retrieved
402:the original
395:
386:
379:
371:
359:. Retrieved
349:
337:. Retrieved
333:the original
326:
296:
294:
277:
273:
268:Tavish Scott
265:
250:
242:
235:
227:
224:
208:
205:
190:
166:
144:
139:
138:
52:
18:
694:1952 births
617:Jim Wallace
612:Jamie Stone
602:David Steel
577:Euan Robson
557:George Lyon
552:Ian Jenkins
542:Ross Finnie
261:independent
177:independent
688:Categories
673:Jim Tolson
592:Iain Smith
306:References
289:parliament
187:Background
81:1 May 1952
77:1952-05-01
232:Interests
126:Residence
53:In office
658:Jim Hume
456:Archived
434:27 March
408:28 March
397:STV News
328:BBC News
255:for the
171:and the
118:Children
91:Scotland
238:tai chi
87:Glasgow
361:11 May
339:11 May
110:Spouse
169:party
149:as a
652:2007
640:2005
623:2003
531:1999
518:the
510:the
436:2011
410:2011
363:2021
341:2021
295:The
213:for
195:and
147:2007
71:Born
39:for
690::
516:in
394:.
378:,
325:.
314:^
240:.
164:.
129:UK
89:,
79:)
495:e
488:t
481:v
438:.
412:.
365:.
343:.
121:2
75:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.