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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 Friends of the Earth Scotland.

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 a member of the GMB Union.

I am a member of the Co-operative Party.

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 a member of the William Morris Society.

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

I am a member of Unite the Union.

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 Keir Hardie Society.

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]

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

I am a member of the Scottish Labour History Society.

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

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 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 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]

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

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]

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.

United States Consul General (Meetings)

Chamber meeting date: 28 January 2026

Richard Leonard: "The siege of Venezuela, the seizure of its President and the recolonisation of its oil fields; the continuing siege of Cuba and the threat to its sovereignty; and the threat to Greenland and the robbery of its mineral wealth—is this not naked aggression? Is this not raw imperialism? Are they not illegal actions of Donald Trump—actions that all…

Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 (Publication of Controlling Interests of Payees)

Chamber meeting date: 21 January 2026

3. Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab): "To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it has entered into with the Scottish Information Commissioner regarding the publication of the controlling interests of recipients of payments made under the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024. (S6O-05389)"

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Economy and Fair Work Committee meeting date: 21 January 2026

Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab): "Thank you very much, convener, and thanks for the opportunity to move my amendment…

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Chamber meeting date: 15 January 2026

Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab): "I thank Maggie Chapman for lodging the motion in Parliament, which I am delighted to support. A few weeks ago, one Friday afternoon, I sat down with firefighters at the Cumbernauld fire station…

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Economy and Fair Work Committee meeting date: 14 January 2026

Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab): "Thank you very much, convener.What these amendments attempt to do is to promote and realise the potential of employee ownership in the economy…

Votes

How Richard Leonard has voted in Parliament

Find out how Richard Leonard has voted recently.

Business Programme

Motion ref. S6M-20611.1

Submitted by: Ash Regan, Edinburgh Eastern, Independent. Date lodged: Thursday, January 29, 2026

Supported by: Jeremy Balfour, Sharon Dowey, Fergus Ewing, Dr Pam Gosal MBE, Rachael Hamilton, Liam Kerr, Stephen Kerr, Douglas Ross, Graham Simpson, Michelle Thomson, Tess White
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, January 29, 2026

Result 28 for, 83 against, 1 abstained, 17 did not vote

MSP voted against

Disagreed

Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill

Motion ref. S6M-20549

Submitted by: Gillian Martin, Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Monday, January 26, 2026

Supported by: Jim Fairlie, Mairi Gougeon
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, January 29, 2026

Result 90 for, 26 against, 0 abstained, 13 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Greyhound Racing (Offences) (Scotland) Bill

Motion ref. S6M-20527

Submitted by: Mark Ruskell, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party. Date lodged: Thursday, January 22, 2026

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, January 29, 2026

Result 69 for, 27 against, 19 abstained, 14 did not vote

MSP abstained

Agreed

Motion ref. S6 SP Bill 59 Amendment 179

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Result 81 for, 25 against, 0 abstained, 23 did not vote

MSP not voted

Agreed

Motion ref. S6 SP Bill 59 Amendment 178

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Result 25 for, 81 against, 0 abstained, 23 did not vote

MSP not voted

Disagreed

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: S6W-43490

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 30 January 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 13 February 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the work that is being done in the development of Employment Injury Assistance to consider whether all current qualifying prescribed conditions for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit will remain and if other conditions will be added."

Question reference: S6W-43491

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 30 January 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 13 February 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation and involvement it has had with trade unions in the development of Employment Injury Assistance."

Question reference: S6O-05426

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 21 January 2026

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 January 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the United States Consul General in Edinburgh to discuss Scotland’s international strategy."

Question reference: S6O-05389

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 14 January 2026

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 January 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it has entered into with the Scottish Information Commissioner regarding the publication of the controlling interests of recipients of payments made under the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024."

Question reference: S6W-42428

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 8 December 2025

Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 23 December 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what assurance it can provide to the (a) firefighters and (b) communities of Cumbernauld and surrounding areas that the urban search and rescue appliance will continue to operate from Cumbernauld Fire Station following the service delivery review."

Question reference: S6W-42429

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 8 December 2025

Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 23 December 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what sites have been identified in the Cumbernauld area for the construction of a new fire station; what the timescale is for the construction of this, and by what date it will become operational."

Question reference: S6W-42308

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 3 December 2025

Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 22 December 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41435 by Mairi McAllan on 18 November 2025, whether it will provide a list of those specific organisations that it (a) has met or consulted with (i) between 20 November 2024 and 16 January 2025 and (ii) since 17 January 2025 and (b) it plans to consult with in the development of…

Question reference: S6W-41567

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 28 October 2025

Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 December 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the number of older and vulnerable people who will have their insurance policies for funeral costs withdrawn as a result of the termination of the Family Protection Plan by C Mutual and Maiden Life Försäkrings from 30 November 2025."

Question reference: S6O-05324

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 17 December 2025

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 January 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether regional news serves an important function in a democracy."

Question reference: S6W-42307

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 3 December 2025

Current Status: Holding Answer by Mairi McAllan on 17 December 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41434 by Mairi McAllan on 18 November 2025, whether it plans to publish the final review report and options for ministers to consider for new accommodation standards for seasonal workers developed by its Housing Standards and Quality team, and, if so, by what date this will…

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