Alex Johnstone (politician)
Alex Johnstone is a Scottish politician known for his long-standing involvement in Conservative and Unionist politics. Born in Stonehaven, Kincardineshire, he initially worked on his family dairy farm before pursuing a political career that began at the age of 13, motivated by concerns over Scottish independence. Elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999 as a Regional Member for Northeast Scotland, Johnstone became the Convenor of the Rural Development Committee, where he advocated for rural interests and opposed excessive farming regulations. He also served as the chief whip and business manager for the Conservatives, as well as the Shadow Minister for Communities and Housing, focusing on welfare reform and self-reliance policies.
Johnstone was significantly involved in the Scottish independence debate, campaigning against independence during the 2014 referendum, which ultimately resulted in Scotland remaining part of the United Kingdom. Additionally, he supported measures for environmental sustainability and was a proponent of nuclear power as a clean energy source. His political career included candidacies for the British Parliament, although he was unsuccessful in those attempts. Outside of politics, Johnstone remains active in the agricultural community and is an elder in the Church of Scotland.
Subject Terms
Alex Johnstone (politician)
Scottish Politician
- Born: July 31, 1961
- Birthplace: Stonehaven, United Kingdom
- Died: December 7, 2016
- Place of death: Edinburgh, Scotland
Education: Mackie Academy
Significance: Alex Johnstone is a Conservative and Unionist member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP). He opposes Scottish independence from the United Kingdom and has been very active in welfare reform and rural development.
Background
Scottish Politician. Alex Johnstone was born in the town of Stonehaven in Kincardshineshire in the United Kingdom. This area is also known as the Means. It is located on the northeast coast of Scotland.
He attended Mackie Academy, a secondary school in the area. After graduation he ran the family dairy and farm before entering politics.
Political Career
Johnstone became interested in politics at the age of 13. He was concerned by the success of the Scottish National Party in national elections in 1974. This party supports the Scottish independent movement. Its goal is to have Scotland become an independent nation separate from the United Kingdom.
Johnstone thought independence would weaken Scotland economically and politically. He believed it was important to speak out against this movement, so he became active in Conservative and Unionist politics.
He was elected to the Scottish Parliament as a Regional Member for Northeast Scotland in 1999. He was soon appointed Convenor, or chairman, of the Parliaments’ Rural Development committee. As a farmer, Johnstone was very interested in the development of the rural areas of Scotland. He opposed what he saw as the over-regulation of farming. He believed regulations slowed growth. He was his party’s chief spokesperson on this issue for many years.
He was also interested in welfare reform. He thought many governmental policies trap people in a cycle of dependency and favored policies that encouraged people to become self-reliant. For example, he believed people could learn to become financially responsible by receiving government assistance directly and paying their landlords rather than the government giving the money to the landlords.
Johnstone served as the Conservatives’ chief whip and business manager as well as the Shadow Minister for Communities and Housing. A shadow minister belongs to the party not currently in power in the Scottish parliament. As a shadow minister, it was his responsibility to monitor the work of the minister in power and hold him or her responsible for the results. A shadow minister may recommend alternative policies and must be ready to assume the role of minister if the shadow minister’s political party wins the general election and assumes power.
In his role as the Conservative representative on the Environment & Rural Development Committee, Johnstone was very interested in legislation regarding climate change. He supported reducing carbon dioxide emissions in Scotland. He was an advocate for nuclear power as an alternative energy source that eliminates the need to burn fossil fuels.
In March 2013, Johnstone used his position in the Scottish parliament to raise awareness about the Scottish king, Macbeth. Although Macbeth is famous as a villainous murderer in Shakespeare’s play, Johnstone pointed out that it is unlikely that the play is historically accurate. He encouraged further research be done to find out more about the true Macbeth.
In 2013, the Scottish National Party convinced the Scottish parliament to pass the Scottish Independence Referendum Act. This act set up a yes or no vote on whether not Scotland should be an independent country.
Johnstone campaigned vigorously against independence. On September 18, 2014, higher voter turnout resulted in 84.6 percent of eligible voters casting a ballot. By a vote of 55.3 percent to 44.7 percent, the Scottish people decided that Scotland should stay remain part of the United Kingdom with England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Johnstone served on the Devolution Committee. This committee, also known as the Further Power committee, is responsible for determining what additional powers should be transferred from the British parliament to the Scottish parliament. Although he was opposed to complete independence from the United Kingdom, Johnstone believed the Scottish parliament should become more powerful. He believed it could learn how to be more self-governing over time.
Although he objected to some aspects of the relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom, Johnstone still supported the United Kingdom staying in the European Union. He believed any differences, such as the policy on farming, could be negotiated.
In 2015, Johnstone acted as the Conservative spokesman for Infrastructure, Capital Investment, Housing, and Transport. He was very involved in developing policies for dealing with the housing shortage in Scotland.
Johnstone has been a candidate to be a member of the British parliament. In 2010 he ran in West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, and in 2015, he ran in Banff and Buchan. The Scottish National Party (SNP) candidate defeated him both times.
Impact
Alex Johnstone was influential in important elections about Scottish independence and its role in the European Union. He helped shape Scotland’s response to rural development, welfare reform, global climate change, and other environmental issues.
Personal Life
Johnstone lived in the same town in which he was born. He married his wife Linda in 1981. His wife and son ran the family business, Ayrshire Dairy. The dairy’s herd has been ranked as one of the top ten herds of its type in Scotland. Johnstone was active in the Young Farmers Movement that works to keep young people interested in farming. He was an elder in the Church of Scotland.
Bibliography
"Alex Johnstone." YourNextMP. Democracy Club, yournextmp.com/person/6565/alex-johnstone. Accessed 20 Mar. 2015.
"Alex Johnstone MSP." The Scottish Parliament, www.scottish.parliament.uk/msps/currentmsps/Alex-Johnstone-MSP.aspx. Accessed 15 Apr. 2023.
"Alex Johnstone MSP: Background." North East MSPs. The Scottish Parliament, www.alexjohnstone.msp.org.uk/alex.html. Accessed 16 Apr. 2023.
Andrews, Kieran. "Conservative MSP Alex Johnstone Will Back EU Exit ‘unless there is change.’" The Courier, 12 Oct. 2015, www.thecourier.co.uk/news/politics/conservative-msp-alex-johnstone-will-back-eu-exit-unless-there-is-change-1.904566. Accessed 16 Apr. 2023.
Brooks, Cameron. "North-east Tory MSP standing for Westminster." The Press and Journal, 3 Mar. 2015, www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/politics/508692/north-east-tory-msp-standing-westminster. Accessed 16 Apr. 2023.
"‘Get a Life, Then Get Elected!’ Interview with Alex Johnstone MSP, Conservative MSP for North East Scotland." Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office, Feb. 2012, www.actsparl.org/media/127536/alex%20johnstone-scpo%20interview-feb%2012.pdf. Accessed 20 Mar. 2015.
"Johnstone Is Conservative Candidate." Buchan Observer, 5 March 2015, www.buchanobserver.co.uk/news/johnstone-is-conservative-candidate-1-3710516. Accessed 20 Mar. 2015.
"Macbeth Gets Politicians’ Backing." BBC, 3 Feb. 2005, news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk‗news/scotland/4232221.stm. Accessed 16 Apr. 2023.