Richard Arkless

Richard Arkless
MP
Member of Parliament
for Dumfries and Galloway
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded by Russell Brown
Majority 6,514 (11.5%)
Personal details
Born (1975-07-07) 7 July 1975
Stranraer, Scotland
Political party Scottish National Party
Alma mater Glasgow Caledonian University
University of Strathclyde

Richard Lambert Thomas Arkless (born 7 July 1975) is a Scottish National Party politician, who was elected MP for Dumfries and Galloway at the 2015 UK General Election on 7 May of that year.[1][2][3]

Background and education

Arkless was born in Stranraer in 1975.[4] He spent an early part of his childhood living in London.[4] He returned to Stranraer when he was eight years old.[4]

He received a BA in Financial Services from Glasgow Caledonian University and has an LLB from the University of Strathclyde.[5]

Political career

Arkless began to advocate Scottish Independence after the 2007 Scottish Parliament election in which the SNP were elected as a minority government. After a year he said the SNP were "doing a pretty good job". When the SNP won a majority in the 2011 Scottish election, he said in a May 2015 interview with The National, "I began to really research the figures – the GDP and tax-take – and I was completely and utterly astonished. I couldn't believe that Scotland had a higher per capita GDP, and much higher per capita tax-take over each of the last 35 years. I was flabbergasted and asked myself why I had believed completely the opposite all my life without every trying to make it evidence-based."[6]

Standing for the SNP in the 2015 UK General Election, Arkless received 23,440 votes, 41.4% of those cast, with a majority of 6,514.[2] He defeated Labour's Russell Brown, who had held the seat since its creation in 2005.[7][8][9][10] His wife Anne works as his personal assistant.[11]

Business career

Arkless left his job as a solicitor to run an online business[12]

References

  1. ↑ "List of Members returned to Parliament at the General Election 2015 Scotland". The Edinburgh Gazette. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  2. 1 2 Haswell, Alex (8 May 2015). "UK Parliamentary Elections Results 2015 for the Dumfries and Galloway County". dumgal.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  3. ↑ "Election 2015: Dumfries & Galloway Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "Your MP elect: Richard Arkless". itv News. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  5. ↑ "My CV". richardarkless.scot. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  6. ↑ Burns, Janice (30 May 2015). "Meet Your New Scottish MPs: #16 Richard Arkless Dumfries and Galloway". The National.
  7. ↑ Jones, Philip N. (5 May 2005). "General Election – Dumfries and Galloway County Constituency – May 2005". dumgal.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  8. ↑ "Election 2005: Result: Dumfries and Galloway". 6 May 2005. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  9. ↑ Haswell, Alex (7 May 2010). "General Election – Dumfries and Galloway Constituency – May 2010". dumgal.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  10. ↑ "Election 2010: Dumfries & Galloway". BBC News. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  11. ↑ Michael Wilkinson, Christopher Hope, (29 June 2015). "One in five MPs employs a family member: the full list revealed". Daily Telegraph.
  12. ↑ Business for Scotland
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Russell Brown		 Member of Parliament
for Dumfries and Galloway
2015–present 		Incumbent
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