Meeting of the Parliament 18 September 2025
It is a tremendous privilege to pay tribute to Sir George Reid on behalf of the Scottish Liberal Democrats. His passing marks the loss of one of the most substantial figures in the life of the Parliament and the life of Scotland.
I met George only a handful of times, and only fleetingly, but I was always in awe of him and he was always generous with that time. I saw, from the outside, what this chamber meant to Sir George and, over time, what he would come to mean to the chamber.
He was a man of great intellect, deep compassion and integrity. From those roots in Tullibody, he never lost his pride in Clackmannanshire. He never forgot where he came from or what was behind him, but he was always looking forward and outward—a profound internationalist.
As we have heard, his career in journalism led him to the very heart of global events. In the Red Cross, he found not just a vocation but a calling. Working in places of conflict and of catastrophe, he brought humanity and hope where both were in short supply. He would later say that it was in that work that he did
“far more good than at any other time in”
his life.
In politics, George made his mark twice: first at Westminster, and then here in Holyrood. As Presiding Officer in the years between 2003 and 2007, he took the chair—as we have heard several times this afternoon—at a very difficult time for the fledgling Parliament. The Holyrood project was mired in delay and controversy, but Sir George always brought order, authority and dignity. He was determined—as he said—to move in and move on, and he succeeded.
By the time that he laid down the mace that sits before you, Presiding Officer, this Parliament was not just complete as a building; it was established in the minds of the Scottish people as the beating heart of the nation’s democracy.
Sir George was a man of principle, who was never afraid to speak truth plainly. As the First Minister rightly mentioned, his speech on the Iraq war, which was informed by his years of humanitarian service, was one of the finest that I have ever heard in the chamber, and I found such common cause with the words that he spoke that day.
Sir George was knighted in 2012 for his service to public life, but the honour that mattered most to him, as exemplified by his life’s work, was the chance to serve his community, his country and the cause of humanity.
On behalf of my party, I extend our profound condolences to his wife, Dee, to his daughter Morag and her family and to all those who mourn him today. [Applause.]