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Cole-Hamilton, Alex

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.

Cole-Hamilton, Alex
MSP profile

Cole-Hamilton, Alex

Sitting Scottish Liberal Democrats Edinburgh North Western

Politically, you're most like McArthur, Liam LD — similarity 60.4/100.

Compare with… Speeches Motions & Q+A
Divisions voted in
1,766
last on 24 Mar 2026
Party alignment
99.6%
0.4% rebellion
Attendance
87.3%
256 "Not Voted" of 2,022 divisions present
Motions lodged
457
2,624 questions · 6 unanswered
Hansard contributions
3,759
1,969 chamber · 1,790 committee
Allowances claimed
£240,536
933 transactions
Most-discussed topics in Hansard
bill ·147 stage ·123 time ·88 question ·87 care ·44 recall ·42 removal ·40 budget ·32 education ·26 national ·26 social ·24 children ·23
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
457
Carried
16
Defeated
21
Not divided
420

Of the 37 motions that went to a vote, 43.2% 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).

long covid covid age criminal criminal responsibility nation capital physical punishment lynzy appointing person children rights pandemic gratified takeover social
Voting drift across sessions

Rebellion rate (vs party majority) per session.

0.1%
S5 · LD
0.6%
S6 · LD
Career arc

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

  1. ⌂
    Started representing Edinburgh North Western
    07 May 2026
  2. +
    Joined Scottish Liberal Democrats
    07 May 2026
  3. ⌂
    Stood down from Edinburgh Western (Dissolution)
    08 Apr 2026
  4. –
    Left Scottish Liberal Democrats
    08 Apr 2026
  5. ☷
    Left Education, Children and Young People Committee
    10 Feb 2026
  6. ☷
    Joined Education, Children and Young People Committee as Substitute Member
    06 Oct 2021
  7. ⌂
    Started representing Edinburgh Western
    06 May 2021
  8. +
    Joined Scottish Liberal Democrats
    06 May 2021
  9. ☷
    Left Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints
    04 May 2021
  10. ☷
    Left Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee
    04 May 2021
  11. ☷
    Left Equalities and Human Rights Committee
    04 May 2021
  12. ☷
    Left Health and Sport Committee
    04 May 2021
  13. ⌂
    Stood down from Edinburgh Western (Dissolution)
    04 May 2021
  14. –
    Left Scottish Liberal Democrats
    04 May 2021
  15. ☷
    Joined Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints as Member
    06 Feb 2019
  16. ☷
    Joined Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee as Substitute Member
    08 Nov 2016
  17. ☷
    Joined Equalities and Human Rights Committee as Deputy Convener
    29 Sep 2016
  18. ☷
    Left Equal Opportunities Committee
    29 Sep 2016
  19. ☷
    Joined Equal Opportunities Committee as Deputy Convener
    16 Jun 2016
  20. ☷
    Left Equal Opportunities Committee
    16 Jun 2016
  21. ☷
    Joined Health and Sport Committee as Member
    08 Jun 2016
  22. ☷
    Joined Equal Opportunities Committee as Member
    08 Jun 2016
  23. ⌂
    Started representing Edinburgh Western
    05 May 2016
  24. +
    Joined Scottish Liberal Democrats
    05 May 2016
Who backs their motions most
Whose motions they back most
Recent contributions to the Official Report
  • Motion of Thanks Chamber
    25 Mar 2026
    Each member of our staff in this institution exhibits professionalism every day, and none more so than when circumstance and situation command it of them. When…
  • Motion of Thanks Chamber
    25 Mar 2026
    I start by paying tribute to both Deputy Presiding Officers, and I echo the words that have been said about you. In particular, I say to Annabelle Ewing, what …
  • Mobile Phone Use in Schools (Ban) Chamber
    25 Mar 2026
    I believe that the cabinet secretary has found common ground with the consensus that is emerging in this debate. However, does she recognise that an act of thi…
  • Mobile Phone Use in Schools (Ban) Chamber
    25 Mar 2026
    I am grateful to the member for hosting the round-table event that she has described, which I attended. She is quite right to frame the issue in a public healt…
  • Topical Question Time Chamber
    24 Mar 2026
    The current rates of social care pay are “woefully inadequate”. Those are not my words but those of Donald Macaskill, who is the chief executive of Scottish Ca…
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
Office costs £9,968 £5,763 +£4,204
Engagement costs £6,515 £4,238 +£2,277
MSP & staff travel £630 £5,057 −£4,427
Registered interests

95 total · showing most recent.

  • Voluntary · 03 Jun 2021
    On 22 August 2024 a family member and I were guests of the Royal Navy for dinner on the Royal Yacht Britannia and then transported by coach to the Royal Military Tattoo. The combined value of the hos…
  • Gifts · 03 Jun 2021
    On 12 September 2023 I attended Hampden Park Stadium for the Scotland vs England friendly match as a guest of Channel 4 Television Corporation (a broadcasting company of 124 Horseferry Road, London, …
  • Gifts · 03 Jun 2021
    On 12 September 2023 I attended Hampden Park Stadium for the Scotland vs England friendly match as a guest of Channel 4 Television Corporation (a broadcasting company of 124 Horseferry Road, London, …
  • Gifts · 03 Jun 2021
    On 9 August 2023, I was a guest of the RAF (25 Learmonth Terrace, Edinburgh EH4 1NZ) at a performance of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The value of the hospitality received was £475. [Register…
  • Gifts · 03 Jun 2021
    On 9 August 2023, I was a guest of the RAF (25 Learmonth Terrace, Edinburgh EH4 1NZ) at a performance of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The value of the hospitality received was £475. [Register…
  • Gifts · 03 Jun 2021
    On 9 August 2023, I was a guest of the RAF (25 Learmonth Terrace, Edinburgh EH4 1NZ) at a performance of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The value of the hospitality received was £475. [Register…
  • Gifts · 03 Jun 2021
    On 26 August 2022, my wife and I were guests of the RAF at a performance of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Limited, 1-3 Cockburn Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1QB). The…
  • Gifts · 03 Jun 2021
    On 26 August 2022, my wife and I were guests of the RAF at a performance of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Limited, 1-3 Cockburn Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1QB). The…
Career timeline

Party

Seats