Mike Crockart
A Scottish Liberal Democrat MP who represented Edinburgh West during a pivotal period of coalition government in the UK.
Born 1966 (age 60)·British politician·Birthday: March 19·Generation X
Biography
Mike Crockart's political career was a compact, focused stint that placed him at the center of British politics during a time of unusual coalition government. Elected as the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Edinburgh West in the 2010 general election, he unseated a sitting Labour minister in a tight race. His term coincided with the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, a period of austerity and constitutional debate. As a backbencher, Crockart served on the Scottish Affairs Committee and was known for his work on issues like fuel poverty and digital infrastructure. The 2015 election proved a devastating night for his party across the UK, and he lost his seat to the Scottish National Party, ending his five-year tenure in Parliament. His time in Westminster captured the rise and sharp contraction of Liberal Democrat influence during a turbulent decade.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Mike was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mike Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Mike's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
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
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh West from 2010 to 2015.
- Elected in the 2010 general election, unseating the sitting Labour MP John Barrett.
- Served on the Scottish Affairs Select Committee during his term in Parliament.
- Was the Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Scotland in 2014.
Did You Know?
Before entering politics, he had a career in the financial services technology sector.
He was a vocal campaigner against the proposed closure of the RAF base at Leuchars Station in Fife during his time as an MP.
His election win in 2010 was part of a surge that gave the Liberal Democrats 57 seats, their highest total since 1923.
He studied at the University of Edinburgh.
“My focus was on the practical work of a constituency, not the theatre of Westminster.”
