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Paul Nicholas Johnston (born 5 January, 1948) is a Scottish politician who was a Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Mid Scotland and Fife region from May 1999, until August 2001.

Early life

Paul Nicholas Johnston was born in Filey, England on 5 January, 1948. He attended North Kesteven Grammar School in North Hykeham, Lincolnshire. Johnston then joined the Royal Engineers and attended Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. From 1972, he worked in the car retail industry, becoming Group Operations Director of Eastern Western Motor Group.-->

Political career

Johnston stood as a Scottish Conservative and Unionist candidate for the Scottish Parliament in 1999, and was elected for the Mid Scotland and Fife region. At the beginning of Parliament, Johnston took the oath in Catalan. In January 2001, he wrote a letter to The Times, where he expressed disillusionment with the attitude of other politicians. An absence from Parliament began in February 2001, with an episode of pneumonia. That same year in August, he resigned, citing disillusionment with politics, and his perception of a weak party leadership as reasons for doing so.

His place in the Scottish Parliament was taken by Murdo Fraser.

Johnston was among a group of former MSPs who supported Scottish independence, saying that it would give Scotland an opportunity to "create a fairer, more equal society."

Notes

1. Normally, regional MSPs do not have individual predecessors and successors. However, Johnston resigned during a sitting parliament so was succeeded by Murdo Fraser.

References

1. "Johnston, (Paul) Nicholas". WHO'S WHO 2023. Bloomsbury Publishing. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
2. "SCOTS - Scottish Parliament: Official Report (12/05/99)". scottishcorpus.ac.uk.
3. "Vote 99: Scotland: Mid Scotland and Fife". BBC News. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
4. Tait, Robert; Hardie, Alison; MacMahon, Peter (13 May 1999). "We fought for this for a long time". The Scotsman. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
5. "Tory MSP calls for 'honest politics'". BBC News. 15 January 2001.
6. "Outgoing Tory attacks colleagues". BBC News. 10 August 2001.
7. Torrance, David (24 October 2012). Whatever Happened to Tory Scotland?. Edinburgh University Press. p. 100. ISBN 978-0-7486-4688-3.
8. Stewart, Thomas AW (15 June 2019). The Scottish Parliament in its Own Words: An Oral History. Luath Press Ltd. ISBN 978-1-912387-59-5.
9. "Former Tory MSP supports Yes vote in independence referendum". STV News. STV. 22 December 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
10. "Ex-MSPs voice support for Yes vote". Herald Scotland. 1 July 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2021.

External links

• Scottish Parliament profiles of MSPs: Nick Johnston
• They Work For You
• Retiring in 2001 - Daily Telegraph

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