{{Short description|Scottish politician (born 1962)}} {{similar names}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Use British English|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = [[The Right Honourable]] | name = Ken Macintosh | honorific_suffix = | image = File:Ken Macintosh 2021.jpg | caption = Macintosh in 2021 | office = [[Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament]] | term_start = 12 May 2016 | term_end = 13 May 2021 | monarch = [[Elizabeth II]] | deputy = {{ubl|[[Linda Fabiani]]|[[Christine Grahame]]|[[Lewis Macdonald]] (interim)}} | predecessor = [[Tricia Marwick]] | successor = [[Alison Johnstone]] {{Collapsed infobox section begin |last=yes |Parliamentary offices |titlestyle=border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes | office = [[Member of the Scottish Parliament]]<br />for [[West Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|West Scotland]]<br />{{nobold|(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)}} | term_start = 5 May 2016 | term_end = 5 May 2021 | office1 = Member of the Scottish Parliament<br />for [[Eastwood (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Eastwood]] | term_start1 = 6 May 1999 | term_end1 = 24 March 2016 | predecessor1 = ''Constituency established'' | successor1 = [[Jackson Carlaw]] {{collapsed infobox section end}} }} | birth_name = Kenneth Donald Macintosh | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1962|01|15}} | birth_place = [[Inverness]], Scotland | death_date = | death_place = | party = [[Independent politician|Independent]] (since 2016){{efn|group=n|Party membership suspended while Presiding Officer}} | other_party = [[Scottish Labour]] [[Labour and Co-operative|Co-operative]] (until 2016) | spouse = Claire | children = 6 | alma_mater = [[University of Edinburgh]] | occupation = Television journalist, producer (1987–1999) | footnotes = {{Collapsible list |titlestyle = background:lavender;text-align:center; |title = Other offices |bullets = on | 2014–2016: [[Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' Rights|Scottish Labour Spokesperson for Community]]{{efn|Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' Rights (2014–15)}} }} }} '''Kenneth Donald Macintosh''' (born 15 January 1962) is a Scottish politician who served as the [[Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament]] from 2016 to 2021. Elected as a member of [[Scottish Labour]], he suspended his party membership on becoming Presiding Officer. Macintosh was a [[Member of the Scottish Parliament]] (MSP) from 1999 to 2021, representing the [[Eastwood (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Eastwood constituency]] from [[1999 Scottish Parliament election|1999]] to 2016, and then the [[West Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|West Scotland region]] from [[2016 Scottish Parliament election|2016]] to 2021.
Born in [[Inverness]], Macintosh was employed between 1987 and 1999 as a television producer for the [[BBC]], working on its news broadcasts and election coverage. He was first elected in the [[1999 Scottish Parliament election]] as a [[Scottish Labour]] and [[Labour and Co-operative|Co-operative Party]] candidate, and retained his seat of [[Eastwood (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Eastwood]] in the [[2003 Scottish Parliament election|2003]], [[2007 Scottish Parliament election|2007]] and the [[2011 Scottish Parliament election|2011 elections]], but lost it in the [[2016 Scottish Parliament election|2016 election]]. In that election, he was returned on the regional list.
==Early life==
=== Family background and education === Kenneth Donald Macintosh was born on 15 January 1962 in [[Inverness]]. Macintosh was educated at the [[Portree]] and [[Oban]] primary schools before attending the state comprehensive [[Royal High School, Edinburgh]]. Both his parents were headteachers. His father, Dr Farquhar Macintosh CBE, was a [[Scottish Gaelic|Gaelic speaker]] from the [[Isle of Skye]], a leading intellectual in [[Scottish education]], rector of Royal High School and chair of the [[Scottish Examination Board]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/dr_farquhar_macintosh_1_701347|title=Dr Farquhar Macintosh|work=scotsman.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/farquhar-macintosh-influential-figure-in-scottish-education-760619.html | location=London | work=The Independent | date=27 November 2007 | title=Farquhar Macintosh: Influential figure in Scottish education}}</ref> His mother, Margaret Macintosh, came from [[Peebles]] and was head of [[Drummond Community High School|Drummond Community High]] and assistant head of [[Wester Hailes Education Centre]].{{citation needed|date=February 2015}}
=== Early career === After graduating from the [[University of Edinburgh]] with a History MA (Hons) in 1984, Macintosh became a television producer in 1987 for the [[BBC News]] [[BBC Network|Network]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6718741.stm | work=BBC News | title=Labour front bench at-a-glance | date=14 September 2007}}</ref> He also worked on ''[[Breakfast with Frost]]'', ''[[Breakfast News]]'', and the ''[[BBC Nine O'Clock News|Nine O'Clock News]]''. In addition, he also worked as a researcher on [[Elections in the United Kingdom|election]] programmes for both [[David Dimbleby]] and [[Jonathan Dimbleby]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6111453|title=Interview: Ken Macintosh|work=tes.co.uk|access-date=3 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903031237/http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6111453|archive-date=3 September 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
==Political career==
=== Early parliamentary career === [[File:KenMacintoshMSP20110511.jpg|left|thumb|Official parliamentary portrait, 2011]] At the [[1999 Scottish Parliament election]], Macintosh won the [[Eastwood (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Eastwood]] constituency with a majority of 2,125 votes.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/06/99/scottish_parliament_opening/380024.stm | work=BBC News | title=New parliament, new Labour, new baby | date=28 June 1999}}</ref>
In February 2002, Macintosh was appointed as a ministerial parliamentary aide to Minister for Education and Young People, [[Cathy Jamieson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msps/31738.aspx |title=Ken Macintosh – MSPs : Scottish Parliament |publisher=Scottish.parliament.uk |date= 21 February 2013|access-date=2016-05-28}}</ref> He resigned from this role in September 2002 when he voted against the [[Government of the 1st Scottish Parliament|Labour–Liberal Democrat Coalition]] [[Scottish Executive]] over the closure of the [[A&E department]] at the [[Glasgow Victoria Infirmary]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2254514.stm Aide quits over hospital vote], ''[[BBC News]]'', 12 September 2002</ref>
Macintosh became Deputy Convenor on the [[Committees of the Scottish Parliament|Standards Committee]] but had to resign from this position in 2005 after it was revealed he had failed to declare £330 of hospitality from [[McDonald's]] within the required time.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4617643.stm 'Standards' MSP resigns over gift], ''[[BBC News]]'', 7 June 2005</ref>
In 2006 and 2007 Macintosh has proposed a [[Member's Bill]] to the [[Scottish Parliament]] providing for the tougher regulation of [[sunbed]] [[parlour]]s, which passed successfully.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/6211545.stm Sunbed bill 'backed by most MSPs'], ''[[BBC News]]'' 27 December 2006</ref> Since his election in 1999 has been a member of the cross-party group on cancer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msps/currentmsps/Ken-Macintosh-MSP.aspx |title=Ken Macintosh – MSPs : Scottish Parliament |publisher=Scottish.parliament.uk |access-date=2016-05-28}}</ref> From February 2007 to April 2007, he was a ministerial parliamentary aide to [[First Minister of Scotland|First Minister]] [[Jack McConnell]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msps/30624.aspx |title=Ken Macintosh – MSPs : Scottish Parliament |publisher=Scottish.parliament.uk |date= 21 February 2013|access-date=2016-05-28}}</ref>
Macintosh was re-elected as MSP for Eastwood at the [[2007 Scottish Parliament election|2007 election]] with a narrow majority of 913, where he fought off a strong challenge from the Conservative Party's [[Jackson Carlaw]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6624781.stm | work=BBC News | title=Turner out as Labour wins seats | date=4 May 2007}}</ref> After the election, Macintosh was appointed Shadow [[Minister for Schools and Skills]]. He considered running for the [[2008 Scottish Labour Party leadership election|2008 Scottish Labour leadership election]] but pulled out and instead backed [[Andy Kerr (Scottish politician)|Andy Kerr]]'s candidacy.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7536006.stm | work=BBC News | title=Gray bids for labour leadership | date=31 July 2008}}</ref>
At the [[2011 Scottish Parliament election|2011 parliamentary election]] he once again defeated Jackson Carlaw with an increased majority of 2,012. The swing was 8.7% from Conservative to Labour.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Brocklehurst|first1=Steven|last2=Kennedy|first2=Doug|date=5 May 2011|title=Scottish election: As it happened|work=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/9474173.stm}}</ref> Macintosh had feared losing the constituency following boundary changes<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13028662.tories-top-still-look-nervous/|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130125120434/http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/where-the-tories-are-on-top-but-still-look-nervous.13311892|archivedate=25 January 2013|url-status=dead|title=Where the Tories are on top but still look nervous|date=15 April 2011|website=The Herald|access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref> (with the removal of [[Barrhead]], [[Neilston]] and [[Uplawmoor]]) which gave a notional Conservative majority of almost 3,500.<ref>{{cite news|date=6 May 2011|title=Scottish election: Labour's 'class of '99' lose to SNP|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13305003}}</ref> After the party's loss to the SNP, Macintosh was made Shadow Culture and External Affairs Secretary.<ref>{{cite news|date=20 May 2011|title=Scottish Labour unveils front bench team|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13472582}}</ref> Only a week later, however, he took over the Shadow Education portfolio after MSP [[Malcolm Chisholm]] resigned over an internal party disagreement.<ref>{{cite news|date=31 May 2011|title=Malcolm Chisholm quits Labour's front bench team|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13605193}}</ref>
=== 2011 and 2015 Scottish Labour Party leadership elections === Macintosh announced his candidacy in [[2011 Scottish Labour leadership election]]. During a September 2011 [[BBC Scotland]] TV interview, Labour leader [[Ed Miliband]] was unable to recall Macintosh's name.<ref>{{cite news|date=29 September 2011|title=Ed Miliband unable to name all Scots leader candidates|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-15104173}}</ref> After the interview, Miliband telephoned to apologise for his mistake and Macintosh tried to downplay the incident saying "I don't think anyone should read anything into it – half the time I can't even remember the names of my own kids."<ref>{{cite news|last=MacDonell|first=Hamish|date=30 September 2011|title=Ed Miliband forgets Scottish candidate's name|work=The Independent|location=London|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/miliband-forgets-scottish-candidates-name-2363319.html}}</ref> Macintosh officially launched his campaign at [[Cumbernauld College]] on 28 October. He described the 2011 election result as a "disaster" and said the party had been too negative: "We need to unite as a party and to start talking positively about our values, what Labour stands for and not just what we are against."<ref>{{cite news|date=31 October 2011|title=Scottish Labour leader contenders put their cases|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-15520440}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=28 October 2011|title=Ken Macintosh launches Scottish Labour leadership bid|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-15496676}}</ref> He later also said he was a [[Devolution in the United Kingdom|devolutionist]], not a [[Unionism in Scotland|unionist]].<ref>{{cite news|date=25 September 2011|title=Labour leadership contender rejects unionist label|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-15055010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=A voice for Scotland's future | Labour Hame|url=http://www.labourhame.com/archives/2082|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509080949/http://www.labourhame.com/archives/2082|archive-date=9 May 2012|access-date=3 November 2011}}</ref> Despite lacking ministerial experience, he was widely seen as a frontrunner.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Reid|first1=Tim|date=27 September 2011|title=BBC News – Senior Labour figure makes Scots candidates warning|newspaper=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-15080475}}</ref> Colleagues who endorsed his bid included his campaign manager [[Michael McMahon (Scottish politician)|Michael McMahon]], [[Claire Baker]], [[Mary Fee]], [[Neil Bibby]], [[Mark Griffin (politician)|Mark Griffin]], [[Kezia Dugdale]], [[Jenny Marra]] and East Renfrewshire MP [[Jim Murphy]], with whom Macintosh shared his constituency office in [[Clarkston, East Renfrewshire]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=12 September 2011|title='It's time to change' – Macintosh sets out stall for Labour Leadership|work=The Scotsman}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=MSPs : Scottish Parliament|url=http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/memberspages/ken_macintosh/contact.htm|date=2014-11-19|publisher=Scottish.parliament.uk|access-date=2016-05-28}}</ref> In the ensuing leadership election, Macintosh came second to MSP [[Johann Lamont]].<ref name="BBC-2011-12-17">{{cite news|date=17 December 2011|title=Johann Lamont named new Scottish Labour leader|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-16217972|url-status=live|access-date=17 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217013556/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-16217972|archive-date=17 December 2011}}</ref>
Following Scottish Labour's near wipeout at the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]], Macintosh decided to [[2015 Scottish Labour leadership election|stand again for the Scottish Labour leadership]], triggered by the resignation of [[Jim Murphy]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Whitaker|first=Andrew|date=18 May 2015|title=Ken Macintosh enters Scottish Labour leader race|work=The Scotsman|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/ken-macintosh-enters-scottish-labour-leader-race-1-3776105}}</ref> Macintosh faced a straight two-way contest with previous deputy leader [[Kezia Dugdale]],<ref>{{cite news|date=15 June 2015|title=Five candidates put forward names for Scottish Labour leader posts|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-33133054}}</ref> who won the leadership.<ref>{{Cite news|date=15 August 2015|title=Kezia Dugdale elected Scottish Labour leader|publisher=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-33942238}}</ref>
=== Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament ===
At the [[2016 Scottish Parliament election]], Macintosh lost the Eastwood constituency, being pushed into third place behind the Conservatives' Jackson Carlaw and the [[Scottish National Party]]'s [[Stewart Maxwell]]. However, Macintosh was returned as an additional member on Scottish Labour's West Scotland regional list.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2016-scotland-36219110|title=Holyrood 2016: Former Scottish leader candidate Ken Macintosh loses seat|work=BBC News|date=6 May 2016|access-date=29 May 2018}}</ref>
On 12 May 2016, Macintosh was elected as [[Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament]] with 71 votes on the third round of voting by MSPs. He defeated [[Murdo Fraser]], Johann Lamont, [[John Scott (MSP)|John Scott]] and [[Elaine Smith (Scottish politician)|Elaine Smith]]. He suspended his Scottish Labour Co-operative membership upon taking office, per the tradition of the presiding officer being strictly non-partisan.
In early November 2018, Macintosh created controversy when an MSP was sent out of the Holyrood chamber for wearing a rainbow tie in support of LGBTI rights and liberation. [[Alex Cole-Hamilton]], [[Scottish Liberal Democrat]] MSP for [[Edinburgh Western (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Western]], was told to change the garment by Macintosh during a debate on LGBTI-inclusive education in schools. Macintosh said it flouted rules against "ostentatious campaign material" in the chamber.<ref>{{cite news|last=McPherson|first=Gareth|date=8 November 2018|title=MSP ordered out of Holyrood chamber for wearing rainbow tie in support of LGBTI campaign|url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/politics/scottish-politics/761637/msp-ordered-out-of-holyrood-chamber-for-wearing-rainbow-tie-in-support-of-lgbti-campaign/|access-date=23 October 2020|website=The Courier|language=en-GB}}</ref>
In September 2020, Macintosh announced that he would not stand for re-election at the [[2021 Scottish Parliament election]]. In a letter to his constituents, he said: "After much reflection, I have decided not to seek re-election to the Scottish Parliament in May next year. It has been an honour to represent the people of East Renfrewshire and the West of Scotland for the last two decades and I would thank you for the trust you have placed in me."<ref>{{cite news|date=22 September 2020|title=Holyrood's presiding officer Ken Macintosh to stand down next year|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-54248030|access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref>
==Personal life== Macintosh and his wife Claire live in [[Busby, East Renfrewshire]] with their six children.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.holyrood.com/articles/2011/09/19/schooled-in-politics/ |title=Schooled in politics |access-date=3 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524062626/http://www.holyrood.com/articles/2011/09/19/schooled-in-politics/ |archive-date=24 May 2012 }}</ref>
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == {{commons category}} * {{SP-MSP}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20111011051345/http://www.kenmacintosh.com/ www.kenmacintosh.com] (new website) * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070501100314/http://www.kenmacintoshmsp.co.uk/ kenmacintoshmsp.co.uk] (old website) * Ken Macintosh's [https://web.archive.org/web/20111111094800/http://www.scotlandsfuture.co.uk/ Scottish Labour Leadership campaign site] "scotlandsfuture.co.uk"
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=[[Tricia Marwick]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament]]|years=2016–2021}} {{s-aft|after=[[Alison Johnstone]]}} |- {{s-par|sct}} {{s-new | constituency }} {{s-ttl|title=[[Member of the Scottish Parliament]] for [[Eastwood (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Eastwood]]|years=[[1999 Scottish Parliament election|1999–2016]]}} {{s-aft|after=[[Jackson Carlaw]]}} |- {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=[[Sarah Boyack]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' Rights|Scottish Labour Spokesperson for Community]]|years=2014–2016}} {{s-aft|after=[[Alex Rowley]]}} {{s-end}}
{{Scottish Labour Party leadership election, 2015}} {{2011 Scottish Labour Party leadership election}} {{Former Labour MSPs}} {{Presiding Officers of the Scottish Parliament}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macintosh, Kenneth}} [[Category:1962 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Politicians from Inverness]] [[Category:People educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]] [[Category:BBC television producers]] [[Category:Labour Co-operative MSPs]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 1999–2003]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 2003–2007]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 2007–2011]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 2011–2016]] [[Category:Politics of East Renfrewshire]] [[Category:Scottish television producers]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 2016–2021]] [[Category:Presiding Officers of the Scottish Parliament]] [[Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]