Robert Brown is former MSP for Glasgow Region and the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Rutherglen & Hamilton West constituency for the 2017 general election.

Full statement

Robert was elected in May 2012 and re-elected in May 2017 as the Liberal Democrat Councillor for the Rutherglen South Ward of South Lanarkshire Council.

He serves on the following Council Committees:

Council’s Executive Committee Enterprise Resources Housing & Technical Resources Cambuslang & Rutherglen Area Committee Rutherglen & Cambuslang Area Licensing Division

He was a Rutherglen Councillor on Glasgow District Council for 15 years and MSP for Glasgow Region from 1999 to 2011. From 2005-2007, Robert was Deputy Minister for Education and Young People.

Robert graduated from Aberdeen University with First Class Honours in Law. He qualified as a solicitor and served as Procurator Fiscal Depute in Dumbarton, before joining Ross Harper & Murphy, Solicitors, Rutherglen and Glasgow where he was latterly a senior civil partner.

Robert was Chair of Rutherglen and Cambuslang Citizens’ Advice Bureau for two terms of 5 years. He is currently Honorary President of Overtoun Park Bowling Club.

He was a longstanding Policy Convener of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, and was responsible for a number of Party manifestos.

Robert was Vice Chair of the Steel Commission which published its Report Moving to Federalism in 2006. He was also a leading member of the Home Rule and Community Rule commission, chaired by Sir Menzies Campbell whose report Federalism: the best future for Scotland was published in October 2012. Robert co-edited The Little Yellow Book (2012) and Unlocking Liberalism (2014), two thought-provoking books of essays on Liberal Democrat themes and values.

Robert is married with a grown up daughter and son and lives in Rutherglen.