Tam Laird is the current Leader of the Scottish Libertarian Party; he is a Founding member of the party, and previously served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Libertarians.[1] Laird was an infantry soldier in the British Army, with which he served five years in Northern Ireland.[2][3] Originally a member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), (which he has been highly critical of),[4] Laird is a life-long supporter of Scottish Independence, a position endorsed by the Scottish Libertarian Party. His departure from the SNP was spurred on by what he saw as a change in emphasis within the party platform; from a focus on Scottish Nationalism, to a more conventional left-wing position.[1][5] Tam has been a strong critic of Scotland's pandemic restrictions,[6] and has taken a monarchist and anti-abortion position on other debates within libertarianism.[7] Laird has described an early association with hard right politics, which he had become disillusioned with by his late 20s.[7] Laird is a regular contributor to the Scottish Liberty Podcast.

In 2016 Laird failed to win a parliamentary seat in Edinburgh Central.[8] Laird also attempted to win election in a 2019 Edinburgh council by-election.[9]

In the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, Laird stood again as the Scottish Libertarian candidate for Edinburgh Central, as well as a regional list candidate on the Lothian Region; he was unsuccessful in getting elected, gaining only 137 votes and 0.3% of the vote for the constituency, while the party gained 689 votes and 0.2% of the vote on the regional list.

References

  1. 1 2 "Craigentinny/Duddingston by-election – Tam Laird". The Edinburgh Reporter. 2020-10-14. Archived from the original on 2021-05-15. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  2. ↑ "Scottish Libertarian Party". Scottish Libertarian Party. 2012-03-22. Archived from the original on 2021-02-28. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  3. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13283802/ Archived 2022-05-05 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ "'Evil oozing out!' Ex-SNP member slams Sturgeon's party over toxicity in Scottish politics". 18 February 2022. Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  5. ↑ "Council elections 2022 – Tam Laird – Scottish Libertarian Party". 2 April 2022. Archived from the original on 2 April 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  6. ↑ "Scottish Libertarian Party". Scottish Libertarian Party. 2020-12-24. Archived from the original on 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  7. 1 2 "Scottish Libertarianism: Brexit, Censorship, and Independence". Being Libertarian. 2018-10-23. Archived from the original on 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  8. ↑ "Interview with Tam Laird, Leader of the Scottish Libertarian Party". Croydon Constitutionalists – Bringing Classical Liberalism to South London. 2020-04-23. Archived from the original on 2021-04-23. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  9. ↑ Newsroom, The (2019-04-09). "Who are the candidates for the Leith Walk Edinburgh Council by-election?". Edinburgh News. Archived from the original on 2021-06-25. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
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