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McArthur, Liam

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.

McArthur, Liam
MSP profile

McArthur, Liam

Sitting Scottish Liberal Democrats Orkney Islands
Birth date
Protected

Politically, you're most like Wishart, Beatrice LD — similarity 64.3/100.

Compare with… Speeches Motions & Q+A
Divisions voted in
2,453
last on 16 Dec 2025
Party alignment
99.5%
0.5% rebellion
Attendance
88.9%
305 "Not Voted" of 2,758 divisions present
Motions lodged
1,231
3,690 questions · 8 unanswered
Hansard contributions
14,983
11,372 chamber · 3,611 committee
Allowances claimed
£42,090
493 transactions
Most-discussed topics in Hansard
bill ·246 stage ·237 land ·156 reform ·156 question ·67 time ·63 portfolio ·60 non-domestic ·39 rates ·39 liability ·39 unoccupied ·39 properties ·39
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
1,231
Carried
5
Defeated
24
Not divided
1,202

Of the 29 motions that went to a vote, 17.2% 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).

con lab mid fife islands con fife con south snp east con glasgow lab west con south con valley snp mid
Voting drift across sessions

Rebellion rate (vs party majority) per session.

0.1%
S4 · LD
0.6%
S5 · LD
0.8%
S6 · LD
Career arc

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

  1. ☷
    Joined Finance and Public Administration Committee as Member
    11 Jun 2026
  2. ⌂
    Started representing Orkney Islands
    07 May 2026
  3. +
    Joined Scottish Liberal Democrats
    07 May 2026
  4. ☷
    Left Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
    08 Apr 2026
  5. ⌂
    Stood down from Orkney Islands (Dissolution)
    08 Apr 2026
  6. –
    Left Scottish Liberal Democrats
    08 Apr 2026
  7. ☷
    Joined Rural Affairs and Islands Committee as Substitute Member
    01 Feb 2023
  8. ☷
    Left Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
    01 Feb 2023
  9. ☷
    Joined Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee as Substitute Member
    06 Oct 2021
  10. ☷
    Left Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
    26 Aug 2021
  11. ☷
    Joined Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee as Deputy Convener
    22 Jun 2021
  12. ☷
    Left Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
    22 Jun 2021
  13. ☷
    Joined Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee as Member
    17 Jun 2021
  14. ⌂
    Started representing Orkney Islands
    06 May 2021
  15. +
    Joined Scottish Liberal Democrats
    06 May 2021
  16. ☷
    Left Education and Skills Committee
    04 May 2021
  17. ☷
    Left Justice Sub-Committee on Policing
    04 May 2021
  18. ☷
    Left Justice Committee
    04 May 2021
  19. ⌂
    Stood down from Orkney Islands (Dissolution)
    04 May 2021
  20. –
    Left Scottish Liberal Democrats
    04 May 2021
  21. –
    Left Scottish Liberal Democrats
    14 Oct 2020
  22. +
    Joined Scottish Liberal Democrats
    14 Oct 2020
  23. ☷
    Joined Education and Skills Committee as Substitute Member
    08 Nov 2016
  24. ☷
    Joined Justice Sub-Committee on Policing as Member
    06 Oct 2016
  25. ☷
    Joined Justice Committee as Member
    08 Jun 2016
  26. ⌂
    Started representing Orkney Islands
    05 May 2016
  27. +
    Joined Scottish Liberal Democrats
    05 May 2016
  28. ☷
    Left Public Audit Committee
    23 Mar 2016
  29. ☷
    Left Education and Culture Committee
    23 Mar 2016
  30. ⌂
    Stood down from Orkney Islands (Dissolution)
    23 Mar 2016
  31. –
    Left Scottish Liberal Democrats
    23 Mar 2016
  32. ☷
    Joined Public Audit Committee as Substitute Member
    23 Jun 2011
  33. ☷
    Joined Education and Culture Committee as Member
    01 Jun 2011
  34. ⌂
    Started representing Orkney Islands
    05 May 2011
  35. +
    Joined Scottish Liberal Democrats
    05 May 2011
  36. ☷
    Left Rural Affairs and Environment Committee
    22 Mar 2011
  37. ☷
    Left Finance Committee
    22 Mar 2011
  38. ⌂
    Stood down from Orkney (Dissolution)
    22 Mar 2011
  39. –
    Left Scottish Liberal Democrats
    22 Mar 2011
  40. ☷
    Joined Rural Affairs and Environment Committee as Member
    03 Sep 2008

7 earlier events not shown.

Who backs their motions most
Whose motions they back most
Recent contributions to the Official Report
Committee & government roles

Committee

Registered interests

15 total · showing most recent.

  • Gifts · 03 Jun 2026
    I received the support of an additional staff member to support the development of my Member's Bill on Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults. The post was funded by three permissible donors: …
  • Gifts · 03 Jun 2026
    Since September 2021, I received support in publishing materials relating to my proposed Member's Bill on Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults, in the form of a website maintained by the per…
  • Gifts · 03 Jun 2026
    On 6 May 2025, I received support for the production of briefing packs in relation to the Stage 1 debate for my Bill on Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults. The cost of production of the briefin…
  • Overseas visits · 03 Jun 2026
    From 9 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 Li…
  • Voluntary · 03 Jun 2026
    I am an Ambassador for Hearts + Balls rugby charity. I was formerly a Director of the charity until December 2023.
  • Voluntary · 03 Jun 2026
    Since 2020, I am President of East United FC, Orkney.
  • Voluntary · 03 Jun 2026
    I am a Girl Guide Ambassador.
  • Voluntary · 03 Jun 2026
    In August 2010, I became an honorary patron of the British Veterinary Association. My role involves raising awareness of the BVA's role and receiving information on activities and attitudes of t…
Career timeline

Party

Seats