Liam McArthur

Liam Scott McArthur (born 8 August 1967) is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician and Member of the Scottish Parliament for Orkney since 2007.

He was brought up on the Orkney Island of Sanday. He is married to Tamsin and they have two sons, Calum and Tom. He is also the goalkeeper for Burray football team.

McArthur had previously worked as an aide to Jim Wallace in the House of Commons and as Special Adviser to the Deputy First Minister in 2002. He was elected in the 2007 Parliament election to replace the retiring Jim Wallace, also a Liberal Democrat. McArthur was subsequently re-elected in the 2011 Parliament election and again in the 2016 Parliament election with a substantially increased majority.

• 1987-1990: University of Edinburgh, Politics (MA)
• 1990-1992: Researcher, Jim Wallace MP (Orkney and Shetland), House of Commons
• 1992-1993: Trainee, European Commission (External Affairs Directorate)
• 1993-1996: Account Executive, various European Union public affairs consultancies
• 1996-2002: Associate Director, APCO Worldwide and APCO Europe
• 2002-2005: Special Adviser to Deputy First Minister of Scotland, Jim Wallace MSP (Orkney)
• 2005-2006: Director, Greenhaus Communications
• 2006-2007: Self-employed political consultant
• 2007–present: Member of the Scottish Parliament for Orkney
• 2007-2008: Shadow Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism
• 2008-2011: Scottish Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Environment, Rural Development and Energy
• 2011–present: Scottish Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Education and Energy