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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: 10 December 2025

Family Protection Insurance Plan

6. Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab): "To ask the Scottish Government what communication the finance secretary has had with the United Kingdom Government and the Financial Conduct Authority regarding what support is available for policyholders impacted by the withdrawal of the family protection plan by CMutual and Maiden Life Försäkrings. (S6O-05272)"

Chamber meeting date: 9 December 2025

Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Holdings Limited

Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab): "I remind members of my voluntary register of trade union interests…

Chamber meeting date: 9 December 2025

Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Holdings Limited

Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab): "I remind members of my voluntary register of trade union interests…

Chamber meeting date: 4 December 2025

Cumbernauld New Town (70th Anniversary)

Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab): "I thank Jamie Hepburn for lodging the motion, because it is right that the Parliament recognises the fact that next Tuesday marks 70 years to the day since Cumbernauld was designated as a new town under the act of Parliament introduced by the visionary, the courageous, the socialist Labour Government of 1945. It was an act founded on economic…

Chamber meeting date: 27 November 2025

Non-Domestic Rates (Liability for Unoccupied Properties) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab): "Let me say at stage 3 what I said at stage 2: it is not right, it is not constitutional, it is not competent and it is not democratic to attempt to write into legislation—into a law that could be passed by this Parliament, and which could be supported by the Government of the day in this Parliament—a call for, even if it is no longer an instruction…

Votes

How Richard Leonard has voted in Parliament

Find out how Richard Leonard has voted recently.

Motion ref. S6M-20068.1

Business Programme

Submitted by: Douglas Lumsden, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Supported by: Miles Briggs, Alexander Burnett, Jackson Carlaw, Finlay Carson, Sharon Dowey, Tim Eagle, Russell Findlay, Murdo Fraser, Meghan Gallacher, Maurice Golden, Dr Pam Gosal MBE, Dr Sandesh Gulhane, Jamie Halcro Johnston, Rachael Hamilton, Craig Hoy, Liam Kerr, Stephen Kerr, Roz McCall, Edward Mountain, Oliver Mundell, Douglas Ross, Liz Smith, Alexander Stewart, Sue Webber, Annie Wells, Tess White, Brian Whittle
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Result 34 for, 89 against, 0 abstained, 6 did not vote

MSP voted against

Disagreed

Motion ref. S6M-20057

Connecting Scotland

Submitted by: Sue Webber, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Monday, December 8, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Result 34 for, 87 against, 1 abstained, 7 did not vote

MSP voted against

Disagreed

Motion ref. S6M-20057.3

Connecting Scotland

Submitted by: Fiona Hyslop, Linlithgow, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Supported by: Jim Fairlie
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Result 60 for, 60 against, 2 abstained, 7 did not vote

MSP voted against

Disagreed

Motion ref. S6M-20057.1

Connecting Scotland

Submitted by: Daniel Johnson, Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Result 23 for, 98 against, 0 abstained, 8 did not vote

MSP voted for

Disagreed

Motion ref. S6M-20056.3

Controlling the Rising Benefits Bill in Scotland

Submitted by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, Dunfermline, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Supported by: Kaukab Stewart
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Result 68 for, 49 against, 5 abstained, 7 did not vote

MSP voted against

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-05308

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 10 December 2025

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 December 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the issue of assaults against transport workers."

Question reference: S6W-42428

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 8 December 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 5 January 2026

"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: Answer expected on 5 January 2026

"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-42394

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 4 December 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 18 December 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Islands Connectivity Plan’s Community Needs Assessment methodology recognising the importance of workforce issues, including crewing levels, seafarers hours of work, seafarer certification, seafarer accommodation, operating conditions, vessel type and vessel design, in the route specific…

Question reference: S6W-42396

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 4 December 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 18 December 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on planned reforms to the governance of ferry services provided by CalMac under the Clyde and Hebrides (Third Generation) contract, which commenced on 1 October 2025."

Question reference: S6W-42395

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 4 December 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 18 December 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations in the recent report by Glasgow University’s Adam Smith Business School on behalf of the Economic and Social Research Council, A Stakeholder Model of Public Ferry Service Provision."

Question reference: S6W-42308

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 3 December 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 17 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-42307

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 3 December 2025

Current Status: Answer expected 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…

Question reference: S6W-42306

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 3 December 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 17 December 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the development of standards for caravans and mobile accommodation for seasonal workers, and further to the answer to question S6W-41436 by Mairi McAllan on 19 November 2025, whether it will ensure that (a) there is a robust inspection regime, (b) those providing accommodation that does not meet the…

Question reference: S6W-42309

Asked by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 3 December 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 17 December 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41436 by Mairi McAllan on 19 November 2025, whether it will consider introducing a relationship between the charge levied by the employer for accommodation and the accommodation offset rate when it introduces bespoke statutory accommodation standards."

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