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Smyth, Colin

Everything we have on one MSP — voting record, motions, questions, committee work, allowances, Hansard contributions, registered interests and career history — pulled together on a single page.

Smyth, Colin
MSP profile

Smyth, Colin

Former (left at end of session) Independent South Scotland

Politically, you're most like Mochan, Carol Lab — similarity 80.4/100.

Compare with… Speeches Motions & Q+A
Divisions voted in
1,769
last on 26 Jun 2025
Party alignment
99.7%
0.3% rebellion
Attendance
87.5%
253 "Not Voted" of 2,022 divisions present
Motions lodged
101
990 questions · 0 unanswered
Hansard contributions
3,253
1,312 chamber · 1,941 committee
Allowances claimed
£364,931
1,960 transactions
Most-discussed topics in Hansard
bill ·76 regional ·65 skills ·64 delivery ·64 stage ·59 community ·55 wealth ·55 building ·55 grangemouth ·54 city ·54 region ·54 growth ·54
Recent motions & questions
Recent rebellions

Divisions where they voted against their party's majority position.

Motion success

Of the motions they've lodged that went to a vote, how often did the chamber agree.

Lodged
101
Carried
5
Defeated
15
Not divided
81

Of the 20 motions that went to a vote, 25.0% were carried.

Closest voting allies

MSPs who voted the same way most often across shared divisions.

Furthest apart on votes

MSPs they vote against most often.

MSPs like this one

Composite of voting agreement, sponsorship overlap, and Hansard topic affinity. Weighted 50 / 25 / 25.

Voice fingerprint

Words and phrases this MSP uses far more often than the chamber average (TF-IDF over their Hansard contributions).

fornethy food nation fair trade animal welfare new agency good food south enterprise abellio lezs remedial plan purpose clause franchise
Voting drift across sessions

Rebellion rate (vs party majority) per session.

0.0%
S5 · Lab
0.5%
S6 · Lab
Career arc

Unified timeline: party joinings, seat changes, committee appointments, ministerial roles.

  1. ⌂
    Stood down from South Scotland (Dissolution)
    08 Apr 2026
  2. –
    Left Independent
    08 Apr 2026
  3. ☷
    Left Economy and Fair Work Committee
    01 Sep 2025
  4. ☷
    Left Public Audit Committee
    01 Sep 2025
  5. ☷
    Left Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
    01 Sep 2025
  6. +
    Joined Independent
    20 Aug 2025
  7. –
    Left Scottish Labour
    20 Aug 2025
  8. ☷
    Joined Economy and Fair Work Committee as Convener
    13 Nov 2024
  9. ☷
    Left Economy and Fair Work Committee
    13 Nov 2024
  10. ☷
    Left Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
    31 Jan 2024
  11. ☷
    Joined Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee as Member
    16 Nov 2023
  12. ☷
    Joined Public Audit Committee as Substitute Member
    25 Apr 2023
  13. ☷
    Joined Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee as Substitute Member
    25 Apr 2023
  14. ☷
    Left Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
    25 Apr 2023
  15. ☷
    Left Finance and Public Administration Committee
    25 Apr 2023
  16. ☷
    Joined Rural Affairs and Islands Committee as Substitute Member
    01 Feb 2023
  17. ☷
    Left Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
    01 Feb 2023
  18. ☷
    Joined Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee as Substitute Member
    29 Sep 2021
  19. ☷
    Joined Finance and Public Administration Committee as Substitute Member
    22 Sep 2021
  20. ☷
    Joined Economy and Fair Work Committee as Member
    17 Jun 2021
  21. ⌂
    Started representing South Scotland
    06 May 2021
  22. +
    Joined Scottish Labour
    06 May 2021
  23. ☷
    Left Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee
    04 May 2021
  24. ☷
    Left Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee
    04 May 2021
  25. ⌂
    Stood down from South Scotland (Dissolution)
    04 May 2021
  26. –
    Left Scottish Labour
    04 May 2021
  27. ☷
    Joined Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee as Member
    09 Jan 2018
  28. ☷
    Left Health and Sport Committee
    09 Jan 2018
  29. ☷
    Joined Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee as Substitute Member
    28 Jun 2016
  30. ☷
    Joined Health and Sport Committee as Member
    08 Jun 2016
  31. ⌂
    Started representing South Scotland
    05 May 2016
  32. +
    Joined Scottish Labour
    05 May 2016
Who backs their motions most
Whose motions they back most
Recent contributions to the Official Report
  • Alexander Dennis Committee
    26 Jun 2025
    I very much thank both our witnesses for taking the time to come to the committee this morning. That brings us to the end of the evidence session, and we will…
  • Alexander Dennis Committee
    26 Jun 2025
    Based on those figures, the impact will obviously be very substantial. Daniel Johnson has a final supplementary question.
  • Alexander Dennis Committee
    26 Jun 2025
    The decision will have a massive social and economic impact, particularly in the Falkirk and Larbert areas. What will be the scale of that impact? We know that…
  • Alexander Dennis Committee
    26 Jun 2025
    You mentioned the working group that has been set up between the UK Government and Scottish Government, and which you are not part of. Is there any ask that th…
  • Alexander Dennis Committee
    26 Jun 2025
    I bring in Jamie Halcro Johnston.
Committee & government roles

Committee

Allowance — vs. party average (2025)

Per-category claim total for this MSP compared to the average per-MSP total inside their party for the same year. Positive = above party average.

Category MSP Party avg Difference
Edinburgh accommodation £12,151 £7,636 +£4,515
Office costs £9,608 £6,915 +£2,694
MSP & staff travel £697 £1,161 −£464
Engagement costs £973 £6,283 −£5,310
Registered interests

123 total · showing most recent.

  • Overseas visits · 05 Jun 2021
    From 9 February to 13 February 2024 I visited California, USA, as part of a cross-party delegation of MSPs, meeting health professionals, family members of individuals who had used the state’s End of…
  • Voluntary · 05 Jun 2021
    Until 31 May 2016 I was a volunteer coordinator at Parkinson’s UK, a charity organisation (of 215 Vauxhaull Bridge Road, London, SW1V 1EJ). I received remuneration of between £25,001 and £30,000 per …
  • Voluntary · 05 Jun 2021
    Until 4 May 2017, when I stood down, I was a senior councillor for Dumfries and Galloway Council (of English Street, Dumfries, DG1 2DD). I worked approximately 20 hours per week and I received remune…
  • Voluntary · 05 Jun 2021
    I am a member of GMB Union.
  • Voluntary · 05 Jun 2021
    I am a member of Unite the Union.
  • Voluntary · 05 Jun 2021
    I am a member of the League Against Cruel Sports.
  • Voluntary · 05 Jun 2021
    I am Chairperson of the Eastriggs Railway Station Action Group (ERSAG).
  • Voluntary · 05 Jun 2021
    I am Chairperson of the Dumfries and Galloway Fairtrade Steering Group.
Career timeline

Party

Seats