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Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)

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Richard Leonard

Scottish Labour

MSP for Central Scotland (Region) 2016 - present day

About Richard Leonard

Contact details

Contact online

Contact at the Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Phone: 0131 348 6465
Text relay calls welcome.

Committees

Richard is a member of 1 committee

Cross-party groups

Richard is a member of 4 cross-party groups

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Industrial Communities

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Nuclear Disarmament

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Older People, Age and Ageing

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on WASPI

Member

Parliamentary and Government Roles

Richard has 2 parliamentary and government roles

Conveners Group

Member

Scottish Commission For Public Audit

Member

Party Roles

Richard does not have any party roles

Previous roles

Richard has had 8 previous roles

Previous roles in cross-party groups are not included in this list.

05 December 2024 - 30 September 2025

SPCB Supported Bodies Landscape Review Committee

Member

17 June 2021 - 23 June 2021

Public Audit Committee

Member

04 October 2018 - 01 March 2021

Party Spokesperson on Economy

Scottish Labour

02 September 2019 - 01 March 2021

Party Spokesperson on Jobs and Fair Work

Scottish Labour

18 November 2017 - 14 January 2021

Party Leader

Scottish Labour

28 June 2016 - 09 January 2018

Social Security Committee

Substitute Member

25 May 2016 - 19 December 2017

Deputy Party Spokesperson on the Economy

Scottish Labour

08 June 2016 - 23 November 2017

Economy Jobs and Fair Work Committee

Member

Register of interests

Richard's register of interests

MSPs must provide details of their financial interests in the Register of Interests. They make an initial statement on becoming or being returned as an MSP. This is then updated with any changes they provide.

Here is the register for Richard Leonard. The date of their initial statement was 08 June 2021.

Remuneration and related undertaking

No registrable interests

Gifts

No registrable interests

Overseas visits

No registrable interests

Controlled transactions

No registrable interests

Heritable property

No registrable interests

Interest in shares

No registrable interests

Voluntary

I am a member of the Keir Hardie Society.

I am a member of the Scottish Labour History Society.

On 4 May 2025 I attended the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) annual awards ceremony as a guest of the PFA. The value of the hospitality was £51. [Registered 15 May 2025]

On 15 February 2024 I accepted two tickets by invitation from Scottish Opera for a performance of Marx In London! at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow. The value of the tickets and associated hospitality was £203. [Registered 23 February 2024]

On 22 June 2025 I was presented with an inscribed decanter by the RMT trade union at their Annual General Meeting in Glasgow. The value of the decanter was approximately £100. [Registered 28 July 2025]

I am the Convener of the RMT Scottish Parliamentary Group. [Registered 22 June 2021]

I am a member of the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

I am a member of Friends of the Earth Scotland.

On Sunday 1 May 2022 I attended the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) annual awards ceremony as a guest of the PFA. The value of the hospitality was £50. [Registered 16 July 2022]

On Saturday 26 November 2022 I attended and spoke at a conference on Community Wealth Building in Preston. This event was sponsored by the Communication Workers Union (a trade union) which provided bed and breakfast accommodation in the Holiday Inn Preston on Friday 25 November 2022. The value of the hospitality was £120. [Registered 16 January 2023, Amended interest 20 January 2023]

I am Convenor of the PFA Scotland Parliamentary Interest Group. [Registered 11 November 2021]

I am a member of Unite the Union.

I am a member of the GMB Union.

I am a friend of the Grassic Gibbon Centre. [Registered 4 October 2024]

On 14th of May 2023 I attended the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) Scotland Annual Dinner as a guest of the PFA. The value of the dinner was £50. [Registered 27 July 2023]

Expenses incurred in the constituency campaign for the Scottish Parliament Election of 6 May 2021 were met by Airdrie and Shotts Constituency Labour Party (A&S CLP). To assist in this campaign A&S CLP received, from permissible sources, the following donations: £2,000 from Unite the Union, a trade union (of John Smith House, 145/165 West Regent Street, Glasgow G2 4RZ). £1,000 from CWU, a trade union (of 150 The Broadway, Wimbledon, SW19 1RX). £250 from ASLEF, a trade union (of 77 St John Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1M 4NN). £450 from UNISON Scotland a trade union (of 14 West Campbell Street, Glasgow G2 6RX). £100 from TSSA, a trade union (of 2nd floor, 17 Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4SQ). £500 from the RMT, a trade union (of Unity House. 39 Chalton Street. London NW1 1JD).

On Sunday 5 May 2024 I attended the Professional Footballers Association Scotland (PFAS) annual awards ceremony as a guest of the PFAS. The value of the hospitality was £60. [Registered 10 May 2024]

I am a member of the William Morris Society.

I am a member of the Co-operative Party.

Recent Activity

What was said

What Richard Leonard has said in Parliament

These are the official transcripts of what was said by this MSP in the chamber and at committee meetings. You'll find the topic discussed and how many times this MSP has contributed to the discussion.

Chamber meeting date: 9 October 2025

Further and Higher Education (Financial Situation)

2. Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab): "I welcome the minister to his new position. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported jobs and cuts crisis in further and higher education. (S6O-05051)"

Chamber meeting date: 2 October 2025

Rail Investment (Highlands)

Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab): "I thank Ariane Burgess for leading this debate in Parliament, and I begin by reminding members of my voluntary register of interests as the convener of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Scottish parliamentary group, which Mr Hepburn would be very welcome to join. It is in that capacity that I am reliably informed that,…

Chamber meeting date: 2 October 2025

Dog Theft (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab): "I am pleased to speak in support of the principles contained in the Dog Theft (Scotland) Bill, and I commend Maurice Golden for bringing it to this stage…

Chamber meeting date: 1 October 2025

Farming Payments

2. Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab): "To ask the Scottish Government when information on farming payments will be publicly available, in accordance with section 19 of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024. (S6O-04995)"

Chamber meeting date: 1 October 2025

Protecting Scotland’s Fire Service

Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab): "What is taking place in our communities is not a Scottish Fire and Rescue Service delivery review—it is an experiment, and it is one which, as a matter of public record, is causing serious concern to members of this Parliament from all sides, including members from the minister’s own back benches. The Government cannot contract out these decisions…

Votes

How Richard Leonard has voted in Parliament

Find out how Richard Leonard has voted recently.

Motion ref. S6M-19275

Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill - UK Legislation

Submitted by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, Dunfermline, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Supported by: Kaukab Stewart
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, October 9, 2025

Result 81 for, 10 against, 23 abstained, 15 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19276

Planning and Infrastructure Bill - UK Legislation

Submitted by: Gillian Martin, Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Supported by: Graeme Dey
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, October 9, 2025

Result 87 for, 23 against, 1 abstained, 18 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19128

Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill

Submitted by: Douglas Ross, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, October 9, 2025

Result 52 for, 63 against, 0 abstained, 14 did not vote

MSP voted for

Disagreed

Motion ref. S6M-19269

Approval of SSI

Submitted by: Graeme Dey, Angus South, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Result 51 for, 25 against, 33 abstained, 20 did not vote

MSP abstained

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19268

Suspension of Standing Orders

Submitted by: Graeme Dey, Angus South, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Result 85 for, 0 against, 26 abstained, 18 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motions

Questions

Questions Richard Leonard has asked

These are the questions that this MSP has asked in Parliament. It also includes any answer to those questions.

Question reference: S6O-05051

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:1 October 2025

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported jobs and cuts crisis in further and higher education."

Question reference: S6W-40729

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:23 September 2025

Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 October 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the partners that Transport Scotland shared the initial specification with of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services 3 (CHFS3) contract, as recorded in the 7 March 2025 minutes of the Ferries Community Board."

Question reference: S6W-40730

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:23 September 2025

Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 October 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-39984 by Fiona Hyslop on 16 September 2023, in relation to the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services 3 (CHFS3) contract, whether (a) detailed specification of the contract will be published on the Transport Scotland website before 1 October 2025, and (b) it will instruct CalMac to…

Question reference: S6W-40731

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:23 September 2025

Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 October 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-39984 by Fiona Hyslop on 16 September 2025, in relation to the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services 3 (CHFS3) contract, what discussions of the detailed specifications of the contract Transport Scotland officials have had with the (a) the Chair of the Ferries Community Board, (b)…

Question reference: S6W-40522

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:15 September 2025

Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 29 September 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) the Scottish Funding Council and (b) Forth Valley College regarding a bailout to save its Alloa campus."

Question reference: S6W-40524

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:15 September 2025

Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 29 September 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an outline of the discussions it has had with the Scottish Funding Council to ensure that Forth Valley College is funded sufficiently to keep the Alloa campus open and operational."

Question reference: S6W-40523

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:15 September 2025

Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 29 September 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking in light of the reported threatened closure of Forth Valley College’s Alloa campus."

Question reference: S6O-04995

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:24 September 2025

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 October 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government when information on farming payments will be publicly available, in accordance with section 19 of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024."

Question reference: S6W-40466

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:10 September 2025

Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 September 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many times, in each of the last three calendar years, its Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team has reported concerns to local authorities regarding the standards of accommodation provided in their areas to migrant workers, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) what the outcome was."

Question reference: S6W-40467

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:10 September 2025

Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 23 September 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that three of the biggest six local authority areas that use the Seasonal Worker Visa scheme are located in Scotland, what representation it has made to the UK Government regarding the review of the scheme by the Migration Advisory Committee, and what the outcome was."

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