Alasdair Allan

Allan was next in line to become a list MSP for North East Scotland when Richard Lochhead resigned to fight the Moray by-election, however he decided instead to devote himself to contesting Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Scottish Parliament constituency), a key Labour–SNP marginal seat in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election. He relocated to Lewis and resigned his post as SNP National Secretary. This move proved successful, as he was elected with 46.6% of the vote – a 5.4% swing from Labour.

Allan voted against same-sex marriage in Scotland, saying he "favours the traditional definition of marriage" – in contrast to the position of the majority of the SNP government.

In the 2011 Scottish Parliament General Election Allan again stood for the SNP in the now renamed seat of Na h-Eileanan an Iar and increased his majority, returning to Holyrood with 65.3% of the vote, an increase of 18.7% and a swing of 15.8% from Labour.

Allan was the SNP candidate for Gordon at the 2003 Scottish Parliament election. As National Secretary of the SNP, he was responsible in July 2004 for the expulsion of Campbell Martin MSP from the party after Martin had claimed that there was a case for supporters of independence not voting SNP.

Alasdair James Allan (born 6 May 1971) is the Scottish National Party (SNP) Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency. He was the Scottish Government's Minister for International Development and Europe from 2016 to 2018. He speaks Scottish Gaelic, Norwegian, Scots and English.

A native of Ashkirk, near Selkirk, Allan was born on 6 May 1971 to Christine and John H. Allan. He graduated from the University of Glasgow with an MA in Scottish Language and Literature, continuing his studies at the University of Aberdeen, graduating with a PhD in Scots language in 1998.