Richard Lyle

Richard Macdonald Lyle (born 12 June 1950) is a retired Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. He served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Uddingston and Bellshill constituency from 2016 to 2021. Lyle had previously represented the Central Scotland region.[1]

Richard Lyle
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Uddingston and Bellshill
In office
5 May 2016 – 25 March 2021
Preceded byMichael McMahon
Succeeded byStephanie Callaghan
Majority4,809
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Central Scotland region
In office
7 May 2011 – 5 May 2016
Memeber of North Lanarkshire for Bellshill
Orbiston (1995–2007)
In office
7 April 1995 – 4 May 2012
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byMarina Lyle
Memeber of Motherwell district council for Orbiston
Belshill South (1977–1984)
In office
1977–1996
Preceded byF. Fergusson
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Personal details
Born (1950-06-12) 12 June 1950
Political partyScottish National Party

Career

Lyle, who was educated at Lawmuir School and Bellshill Academy, has served as a local councillor on Motherwell District Council and North Lanarkshire Council since 1976.[2] Lyle worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland as well before becoming an MSP.[3]

In 2011, Lyle won election as an MSP for the Central Scotland region.[3]

During the debate on same-sex marriage in Scotland, Lyle along with his SNP colleagues Dave Thompson, John Mason and Bill Walker was widely condemned for raising a motion stating that no person or organisation should be forced to be involved or to approve of same-sex marriage.[4]

In the lead up to the 2016 Scottish Parliament election it was revealed that Lyle's Holyrood nickname is "Salty Dick"[5] after it became public knowledge that he had once claimed the cost of a £1.80 bag of chips on expenses.[6]

Lyle has been at the center of an ongoing internal party dispute within the SNP Uddingston and Bellshill branch which saw a small minority of party members state that they would refuse to vote for him at the Holyrood election.[7]

In February 2020, Lyle announced that he would not be seeking re-election at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.[8]

In May 2020, he was slated by fellow MSPs and Palestinian rights groups after calling the Nakba a "self-inflicted tragedy". Lyle said a fifth of Israel's citizens are Arabs "who chose not to flee in 1948, and who enjoy their democratic rights in Israel and contribute meaningfully to Israel society at all levels, including membership of the Knesset, with several Arabs serving as high ranking members of the Israel police and army. The conclusion can only be that the [Nakba], the Arabic word for tragedy, resulting in the 1948 Palestine refugee crisis was sadly a self-inflicted tragedy, which must, after all these years, be finally resolved by peaceful means and discussions between the parties involved." Nadia El-Nakla, convenor of SNP Friends of Palestine, said Lyle's remarks were "not just a revision of history but also an insult to every Palestinian worldwide".[9]

References
  1. "The Scottish Parliament – Current Members – Richard Lyle".
  2. "Richard Lyle". Scottish National Party. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  3. "Personal Information". parliament.scot. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  4. "Row within SNP over John Mason's gay marriage motion". BBC News. 7 August 2011.
  5. Thomas, Ellen (30 April 2016). "Election Unspun: Code of silence for the Monklands McMafia". The Herald.
  6. Johnson, Simon (10 October 2014). "SNP MSP claims £1.80 on expenses after chip shop visit". The Daily Telegraph.
  7. Sanderson, Daniel (17 February 2016). "SNP members to refuse to vote for party MSP as 'Monklands McMafia' row escalates". The Herald.
  8. Nutt, Kathleen (20 February 2020). "EXCLUSIVE SNP's longest-serving politician reveals he will step down next year". The National. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  9. Gordon, Tom (25 May 2020). "SNP MSP slated after calling Palestinian tragedy 'self-inflicted'". The Herald. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
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