George Reid (Scottish politician)
A Scottish nationalist who helped shepherd the new Scottish Parliament into being, serving as its impartial referee during a transformative era.
Born 1939 (age 87)·Scottish politician·Birthday: June 4·The Silent Generation
Biography
George Reid's career was a long arc toward Scottish self-governance, woven through journalism, politics, and diplomacy. An early member of the SNP, he entered the UK Parliament in 1974, a lone nationalist voice during a turbulent decade. After a period working for the International Red Cross, he returned to frontline politics with the opening of the devolved Scottish Parliament in 1999. His election as one of its first Presiding Officers in 2003 was a testament to the respect he commanded across party lines. For four years, Reid was the steady hand on the tiller, tasked with establishing the procedures and decorum of the new institution, often mediating between a boisterous chamber and an ambitious executive. His tenure oversaw a period of growing confidence and complexity in Scottish political life, setting a standard of impartiality for the office.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
George was born in 1939, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When George Was Born
The biggest hits of 1939
#1 Movie
Gone with the Wind
Best Picture
Gone with the Wind
George's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1939Born
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1944Started school
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1952Became a teenager
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Could drive
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1957Could vote
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Turned 21
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1969Turned 30
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 40
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 50
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 60
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 70
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 80
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 87 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the second Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament from 2003 to 2007, establishing procedural norms for the new legislature.
- Elected as a Member of Parliament for Clackmannan and Eastern Stirlingshire in 1974, representing the SNP at Westminster.
- Appointed as Scotland's first-ever International Development Minister in 2009, focusing on the nation's role in global aid.
- Had a significant career with the International Red Cross, serving as its UK Director of Public Affairs.
Did You Know?
He began his career as a journalist, working for the *Scottish Daily Express* and the BBC.
He was knighted in the 2014 New Year Honours for public and political service.
He lost his Westminster seat in the 1979 general election, which brought Margaret Thatcher to power.
He was a vocal advocate for moving the Scottish Parliament from its temporary home on the Mound to the purpose-built Holyrood complex.
“Devolution is not an event but a process of building a parliament from the ground up.”
