Legal figures victorious in Holyrood elections

Figures from the Scottish legal world have been elected as MSPs in the Holyrood elections.

The Justice Secretary, Michael Matheson, has been returned as MSP for Falkirk West, wiith 56.7 per cent of the vote.

Mr Matheson thanked his team in the constituency and said it was a privilege to return to Holyrood.

He said: “In some respects we’ve run an old-fashioned campaign - getting out, knocking on doors and speaking to people. But we’ve also used the information that we’ve learned in the last couple of campaigns to target people.

“Throughout the campaign we’ve been very well received and I’m delighted with the result.”

The SNP’s Ben Macpherson, who qualified with Brodies, took Edinburgh Northern and Leith from Labour with 46.7 per cent of the vote. Mr Macpherson, who has been named a future star of the party by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, succeeded against Labour candidate and former Lord Provost Lesley Hinds.

Mr Macpherson graduated from the Universities of York and Edinburgh and grew up in the constituency. Before being elected he said: “I would stand up against austerity and fight strongly for those affected by it. At a national level I’m also passionate about progressing Scotland’s renewable energy potential, effective land reform and measures to reduce inequality.”

The Scottish Greens’ Andy Wightman, meanwhile, was elected MSP for the Lothian region. Mr Wightman is a writer, and campaigner on land rights, democracy and the economy. He is the author of publications including Who Owns Scotland (1996), Scotland: Land and Power (1999), Community Land Rights: A Citizen’s Guide (2009) and The Poor Had No Lawyers (2010). He has served as a specialist adviser to the House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee and represented the Scottish Green Party on the Commission on Local Tax Reform.

He said: “This boost in support along with our growing membership has delivered an amazing result in Lothian. I want to thank the Green teams across Edinburgh, West Lothian, Midlothian and Musselburgh for all the hard work they put in.

“I am determined to bring bold ideas into Parliament and will pursue issues such as local democracy and land reform with vigour.”