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Willie Rennie
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Chair of Parliamentary Campaigns; Shadow Defence Minister
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Biography
Willie Rennie entered Parliament at his first attempt at a by-election in February 2006, gaining this seat from the Labour Party.
A Fifer born and bred, Willie Rennie read biology at the University of Paisley. He is a member of Carnegie Harriers and and runner up in the Scottish Coal-Carrying Championship.
While a student, he ran the Scottish Young Liberal Democrats and after graduation went on to work for the party in Cornwall. Willie was Chief Executive of the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Party's Chief of Staff at the Scottish Parliament between 1997 and 2001. Before his election he was an account disrector of a Scottish communications firm advising charities (including the Royal Society of Chemistry and Asthma UK) and businesses; he was also adviser to Fife's Lib Dem Council Group.
As an MP his work on local issues includes: the campaigns against the £4 toll proposed for the Forth Bridge and for improvements to the cancer service at Queen Margaret Hospital.
He is a member of the Shadow Derfence team and was made Chair of the Parliamentary Campaigns team by Nick Clegg in December 2007 and also named as a Parliamentary Whip by Clegg in 2008.
Parliamentary experience:
2008- Defence Spokesperson, December 2007- Chair of Parliamentary Campaigns Team, 2006- Shadow Defence spokesperson.
General election 2006 by-election result
Seat: Dunfermline & West Fife
Current MP: Willie Rennie
| Liberal Democrats | 36% | 12391 votes | |
| Labour | 31% | 10591 votes | |
| Conservatives | 8% | 2702 votes | |
| SNP | 21% | 7261 votes | |
| Others | 3% | 948 votes |