Tom_Laird
Tam Laird
Scottish politician
Tam Laird is a Scottish politician and activist, serving as leader of the Scottish Libertarian Party since 2017. He is a Founding member of the party, and previously served as Deputy Leader of the party.[1]
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Tam Laird | |
|---|---|
| Leader of the Scottish Libertarian Party | |
| Assumed office 2017 | |
| Deputy | Stef Johnstone Caz Paul |
| Deputy leader of the Scottish Libertarian Party | |
| In office 2012–2017 | |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Stef Johnstone |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Bellshill, Lanarkshire, Scotland |
| Political party | Scottish Libertarian Party |
| Other political affiliations | SNP (1990s) |
Laird was an infantry soldier in the British Army, with which he served five years in Northern Ireland.[2][3]
Originally a member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), (which he has been highly critical of),[4] Laird is a life-long supporter of Scottish Independence, a position endorsed by the Scottish Libertarian Party. His departure from the SNP was spurred on by what he saw as a change in emphasis within the party platform; from a focus on Scottish Nationalism, to a more conventional left-wing position.[1][5]
Tam has been a strong critic of Scotland's pandemic restrictions,[6] and has taken a monarchist and anti-abortion position on other debates within libertarianism.[7]
Laird has described an early association with hard right politics, which he had become disillusioned with by his late 20s.[7] Laird is a regular contributor to the Scottish Liberty Podcast.
In 2016 Laird failed to win a parliamentary seat in Edinburgh Central.[8] Laird also attempted to win election in a 2019 Edinburgh council by-election.[9]
In the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, Laird stood again as the Scottish Libertarian candidate for Edinburgh Central, as well as a regional list candidate on the Lothian Region; he was unsuccessful in getting elected, gaining only 137 votes and 0.3% of the vote for the constituency, while the party gained 689 votes and 0.2% of the vote on the regional list.
- "Craigentinny/Duddingston by-election – Tam Laird". The Edinburgh Reporter. 2020-10-14. Archived from the original on 2021-05-15. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
- "Scottish Libertarian Party". Scottish Libertarian Party. 2012-03-22. Archived from the original on 2021-02-28. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
- https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13283802/ Archived 2022-05-05 at the Wayback Machine [user-generated source]
- "'Evil oozing out!' Ex-SNP member slams Sturgeon's party over toxicity in Scottish politics". 18 February 2022. Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- "Council elections 2022 – Tam Laird – Scottish Libertarian Party". 2 April 2022. Archived from the original on 2 April 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- "Scottish Libertarian Party". Scottish Libertarian Party. 2020-12-24. Archived from the original on 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
- "Scottish Libertarianism: Brexit, Censorship, and Independence". Being Libertarian. 2018-10-23. Archived from the original on 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
- "Interview with Tam Laird, Leader of the Scottish Libertarian Party". Croydon Constitutionalists – Bringing Classical Liberalism to South London. 2020-04-23. Archived from the original on 2021-04-23. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
- Newsroom, The (2019-04-09). "Who are the candidates for the Leith Walk Edinburgh Council by-election?". Edinburgh News. Archived from the original on 2021-06-25. Retrieved 2021-03-24.