Alex Cole-Hamilton

Cole-Hamilton was born in Lancashire, the son of David John Cole-Hamilton and Elizabeth Ann Brown.[1][2] After attending Madras College, a state school in St Andrews, he graduated from the University of Aberdeen with a degree in politics and international relations.[1] There, he was President of the Students' Representative Council from 1999 until 2000. He later worked in the voluntary sector and was formerly a Convener and Director of "Together (Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights)".[3]

Cole-Hamilton stood in several constituencies unsuccessfully as a Lib Dem candidate: at the 2003 Scottish Parliament election for the Kirkcaldy constituency; at the 2005 general election for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath; in 2007 for Stirling and in 2011 for Edinburgh Central.

In 2016, Cole-Hamilton was successfully elected to the Scottish Parliament for the Edinburgh Western constituency.[4] After the election, his electoral expenses were investigated,[5][6][7][8] according to the Edinburgh Evening News: "Mr Cole-Hamilton recorded the highest election costs of any Edinburgh candidate, spending £32,549 on his campaign while his rival for the Edinburgh Western seat, SNP candidate Tony Giugliano, spent £18,593."[9] Whilst Cole-Hamilton was cleared of any wrongdoing, the party was fined for failing to file an accurate spending return on its national spending return.[10]

He is currently the Scottish Liberal Democrats spokesperson for Health.[11]

He has a wife, Gillian, and four children.[12]

In November 2020, Cole-Hamilton and his wife announced the birth of their fourth child, Vincent, on Twitter.

Cole-Hamilton is a keen surfer and frequently goes on holiday with his family to Cornwall to enjoy this hobby.

The Cole-Hamilton family is of Irish Planter origin, but a branch has lived in Scotland for over a century.[2]

His ancestors include the Venerable Richard Mervyn Cole-Hamilton, and John Cole, 1st Baron Mountflorence of Florence Court (1709–1767). Other relatives include Anni Cole-Hamilton, founder of the private Moray Firth School and Air Vice Marshal John Cole-Hamilton (1894–1945). His ancestor Arthur Cole-Hamilton was MP for Fermanagh and Enniskillen in the Parliament of Ireland and for Enniskillen after the 1801 union.[2][12]

His relative John Cole-Hamilton was Provost of Kilwinning from 1940 until 1947, Deputy Lord Lieutenant for the County of Ayr in 1951, and Chairman of the Central Ayrshire Conservative Party when that constituency was formed, and Richard Cole-Hamilton, former chief executive of the Clydesdale Bank.[13]

• Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP official biography at the Scottish Parliament website
• Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP profile at the site of Scottish Liberal Democrats