Our President

Rt Hon. Lord Bruce
of Bennachie

President
Born in Birkenhead and educated at Wrekin College before obtaining degrees from St Andrew’s University in Dundee and Strathclyde, Malcolm obtained a variety of professional experience before being returned to Parliament. After beginning his career as a journalist, he worked as a buyer for Boots pharmacies.

Lord Bruce has developed an in-depth knowledge of the oil and gas sector over a number of years. Before joining Parliament, he worked as a researcher at the North East Scotland Development Agency and went on to establish Aberdeen Petroleum Publishing. His work both in Government, business and as the Elected Member of Parliament for Gordon (covering the city of Aberdeen) over 32 years enabled him to witness first-hand the impact of the development ofScotland’s oil industry from its very first beginnings.

Malcolm was called to the Bar (Gray’s Inn) in 1995.

Lord Bruce held the parliamentary seat of Gordon from 1983 until he stood down as an MP at the General Election in May 2015. He was appointed as a member of the House of Lords in August 2015.

During the years he spent in the House of Commons, Malcolm had a number of Liberal Democrat front-bench positions including on Treasury, Energy, Rural Affairs, Trade and Industry and Scotland.

From 2005 to 2015, he was the Chair of the Parliamentary Select Committee on International Development, challenging the Government on a range of development issues including: conflict and peace-building, violence against women and girls, water and sanitation, HIV/AIDS, poverty eradication and arms export controls.

During his time as a local MP he raised issues relating to Oil and Gas safety, taxation and skills, local transport and infrastructure, health, policing and education, as well as the devolution of powers to the Scottish Parliament.

He participated in the Scottish Constitutional Convention (SCC) which developed the framework for Scottish devolution and which paved the way for the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.

Malcolm also established the All Party Parliamentary Group on Deafness and took a keen interest in the energy, transport and climate change parliamentary groups. He served as the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats between 1988 and 1992, and President of the Scottish Party. He was deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party from 2014-15.

He is married to Rosemary and has five children.