John Lamont

Who is John Lamont?

John Lamont is a Scottish Conservative Party politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire. He won the predecessor constituency of Roxburgh and Berwickshire in May 2007 and won the newly constituted seat with an increased majority. Lamont is the Scottish Conservative Chief Whip and Parliamentary Business Manager.

Lamont was educated at Kilwinning Academy and studied at the School of Law of the University of Glasgow where he gained a First Class degree. He worked as a solicitor at Freshfields in London and then at Brodies in Edinburgh. As well as becoming involved in local politics, he became the chairman of his local Conservative association and was the Conservative candidate for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk at the 2005 and 2010 general elections.

He caused controversy in May 2011, for accusing Catholic education in the west of Scotland to be 'state-sponsored conditioning of sectarian attitudes'. Following the resignation of Annabel Goldie as the Scottish Conservative leader, Lamont had been tipped as a potential candidate to replace her, however he reportedly 'self-destructed' his chances following his remarks on Catholic schools.