Photo © Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Alex Cole-Hamilton
Scottish Liberal Democrats MSP for Edinburgh North Western
At a glance Alex Cole-Hamilton is a Scottish Liberal Democrats Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh North Western.
Attendance is votes cast as a share of the 2,903 Holyrood divisions on record; Alex Cole-Hamilton did not vote in 262. A rebellion is a vote against the way most of their own party voted; free votes, where no party line applies, are left out. At Holyrood an abstention is a deliberate recorded vote, distinct from not voting at all.
Party-loyalty figures are our own analysis of the official voting records (recorded votes only; they do not describe the formal whip). How we work this out.
Voting record
The most recent divisions Alex Cole-Hamilton voted in. For, Against and Abstain are as recorded.
| 25 Jun 2026 | Achieving a Sustainable Prison Population | For |
| 25 Jun 2026 | Achieving a Sustainable Prison Population | Against |
| 25 Jun 2026 | Achieving a Sustainable Prison Population | For |
| 25 Jun 2026 | Achieving a Sustainable Prison Population | Against |
| 25 Jun 2026 | Achieving a Sustainable Prison Population | Against |
| 24 Jun 2026 | National Security (State Threats) Bill – UK Legislation | For |
| 24 Jun 2026 | Scotland Needs Reform: Five Years to 2031 | For |
| 24 Jun 2026 | Scotland Needs Reform: Five Years to 2031 | For |
| 17 Jun 2026 | Appointment of Law Officers | For |
| 17 Jun 2026 | Affordable Bus Fares | For |
| 17 Jun 2026 | Affordable Bus Fares | For |
| 17 Jun 2026 | Affordable Bus Fares | Abstain |
| 17 Jun 2026 | Affordable Bus Fares | Against |
| 17 Jun 2026 | Suspension of Standing Orders | For |
| 16 Jun 2026 | Strengthening Scotland’s Partnership with the Third Sector | For |
Register of interests
From the Scottish Parliament's Register of Interests. Shown as registered; nothing is added or interpreted.
Controlled transactions1
- No registrable interests. (lodged 2 Jun 2026)
Gifts3
- On 12 September 2023, I attended Hampden Park Stadium for the Scotland vs England friendly match as a guest of Channel 4 Television Corporation (a broadcasting company of 124 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 2TX). The ticket and associated hospitality amounted to a total of £478. (lodged 2 Jun 2026)
- On 9 August 2023, I was a guest of the RAF (25 Learmouth Terrace, Edinburgh, EH4 1NZ) at a performance of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The value of the hospitality received was £475. (lodged 2 Jun 2026)
- On 26 August 2022, my wife and I were guests of the RAF at a performance of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Limited, 1-3 Cockburn Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1QB). The estimated value of the hospitality received was £773. (lodged 2 Jun 2026)
Heritable property1
- Until 29 August 2022, I sublet part of my own property in Edinburgh through online holiday website Airbnb. This yielded a gross annual income of between £5,001 and £10,000. Between 29 August 2022 and 4 May 2023, I used this part of my property to accommodate a person under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, for which I received £350 a month as a "thank you" payment. Since the departure of my Ukrainian guest on 4 May 2023, I have relisted this part of my property on Airbnb and it will yield a gross annual income of between £10,001 and £15,000 per annum. (lodged 2 Jun 2026)
Interest in shares1
- No registrable interests. (lodged 2 Jun 2026)
Overseas visits1
- No registrable interests. (lodged 2 Jun 2026)
Remuneration and related undertaking1
- No registrable interests. (lodged 2 Jun 2026)
Voluntary3
- On 22 August 2024, a family member and I were guests of the Royal Navy for dinner on the Royal Yacht Britannia and then transported by coach to the Royal Military Tattoo. The combined value of the hospitality was £1,520. (lodged 2 Jun 2026)
- On 5 February 2022, I was a guest of Scottish Rugby to the Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield. They provided hospitality and two match tickets to myself and my guest, followed by dinner afterwards. The SRU have stated that the estimated value was £1,000 per person. I do not consider that this meets the prejudice test. (lodged 2 Jun 2026)
- I was formerly a Convener and Director of Together (Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights). (lodged 2 Jun 2026)
Questions
Alex Cole-Hamilton has tabled 2,697 questions in the Scottish Parliament.
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01053 by Ben Macpherson on 13 July 2026, when the…
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01053 by Ben Macpherson on 13 July 2026, when the National CLD Workforce Survey will be completed and its findings made available to view.
Awaiting an answer.
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01050 by Ben Macpherson on 13 July 2026, whe…
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01050 by Ben Macpherson on 13 July 2026, when the CLD Workforce Plan will be completed and published.
Awaiting an answer.
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01042 by Kirsten Oswald on 7 July 2026, regarding…
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01042 by Kirsten Oswald on 7 July 2026, regarding the number of incidents involving possession of a knife or bladed article that have been recorded in schools in each of the last five years, whether it will provide a breakdown of these figures by local authority.
Awaiting an answer.
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect and strengthen additional learning provision for dea…
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect and strengthen additional learning provision for deaf children and young people, including access to specialist teachers, communication support and other educational services, in light of reported concerns regarding reductions in local authority resources and any potential impact on educational outcomes.
Awaiting an answer.
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Institute of Structural Engineers to discuss the presence of r…
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Institute of Structural Engineers to discuss the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in buildings and the steps required to mitigate damage.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville · 20 Jul 2026
Scottish Government funded the Institution of Structural Engineers to develop guidance on the identification, assessment and remediation of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in residential properties. Scottish Government officials met with members of the Institution of Structural Engineers on 21 January 2026 to discuss this guidance.Members of the Institution of Structural Engineers attended a meeting of the RAAC in Housing Leadership Group meeting on 28 January 2026, to deliver a presentation on the guidance. The meeting was chaired by the former Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Miri McAllan. Scottish Government officials also joined this meeting.
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its position on reported calls for the introduction of a national…
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its position on reported calls for the introduction of a national fund to help address the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in buildings on university campuses.
Awaiting an answer.
To ask the Scottish Government whether any guidance has been published for Scottish universities on the steps they can …
To ask the Scottish Government whether any guidance has been published for Scottish universities on the steps they can take to address the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in buildings on their campuses.
Awaiting an answer.
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any assessment of the impact on staff and students of reinfor…
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any assessment of the impact on staff and students of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in university buildings and campuses.
Awaiting an answer.
Motions lodged
| 8 Jul 2026 | Congratulating the Re-establishment of Queensferry Rugby Club | 7 sig. |
| 22 Jun 2026 | Recognising the Contribution of the British Council to Education and Culture | 11 sig. |
| 15 Jun 2026 | Voluntary Guidelines for Paddleboard Retailers | 9 sig. |
| 21 May 2026 | Recognising the Work of The Rawthey Project | 2 sig. |
| 21 May 2026 | Ambitious for Scotland | 0 sig. |
| 20 May 2026 | Condemnation of UK Sanction Relief on Russia | 0 sig. |
Speeches
Recent things Alex Cole-Hamilton has said in the chamber and in committee, from the Official Report.
25 Jun 2026 First Minister’s Question Time (draft)
We can be sure that the number is not zero. For as long as we do not have a proper strategy on prison capacity, rehabilitation and clearing the court backlog, early release will be a revolving door, with people going in, coming out and goi…
25 Jun 2026 First Minister’s Question Time (draft)
I am sure that all members will join me in expressing solidarity with Scotland’s Muslim community after the brutal and unprovoked attacks on the streets of Edinburgh last weekend. That community’s response to those attacks has not been one…
24 Jun 2026 Reform UK Priorities (draft)
We need immigration, but we also need to recognise that we are a home for refugees. Scotland has a proud history of offering safe harbour to those who are fleeing war, persecution and intolerance, and we should proudly remember and embrace…
24 Jun 2026 Reform UK Priorities (draft)
We need immigration, but we also need to recognise that we are a home for refugees. Scotland has a proud history of offering safe harbour to those who are fleeing war, persecution and intolerance, and we should proudly remember and embrace…
24 Jun 2026 Reform UK Priorities (draft)
I must make progress.By investing in social care, we can get those 2,000 Scots out of hospital. They would much rather be at home or in a care home than taking up a hospital bed. We absolutely need to recognise that inward migration is a f…
24 Jun 2026 Reform UK Priorities (draft)
I must make progress.By investing in social care, we can get those 2,000 Scots out of hospital. They would much rather be at home or in a care home than taking up a hospital bed. We absolutely need to recognise that inward migration is a f…
24 Jun 2026 Reform UK Priorities (draft)
I am afraid that I have given way enough now and I must make progress.
24 Jun 2026 Reform UK Priorities (draft)
I am afraid that I have given way enough now and I must make progress.
24 Jun 2026 Reform UK Priorities (draft)
I absolutely agree with Daniel Johnson. The struggle for progress and equality is never truly won; we have to win it with every generation. We see in the rhetoric the measure of the challenge that falls to our generation.Liberal Democrats …
24 Jun 2026 Reform UK Priorities (draft)
I absolutely agree with Daniel Johnson. The struggle for progress and equality is never truly won; we have to win it with every generation. We see in the rhetoric the measure of the challenge that falls to our generation.Liberal Democrats …
24 Jun 2026 Reform UK Priorities (draft)
It is important to address that, Presiding Officer. The terms “displacement” and “othering” have associations with the language of the Third Reich. I make no suggestion or implication that Reform would adopt the policies of the Third Reich…
24 Jun 2026 Reform UK Priorities (draft)
It is important to address that, Presiding Officer. The terms “displacement” and “othering” have associations with the language of the Third Reich. I make no suggestion or implication that Reform would adopt the policies of the Third Reich…
24 Jun 2026 Reform UK Priorities (draft)
I fail to see a moral equivalence between the references that we have just heard and what is, in effect, the language of the Third Reich in some cases.Liberals believe fundamentally in reform and in challenging the old order of things. We …
24 Jun 2026 Reform UK Priorities (draft)
I fail to see a moral equivalence between the references that we have just heard and what is, in effect, the language of the Third Reich in some cases.Liberals believe fundamentally in reform and in challenging the old order of things. We …
24 Jun 2026 Reform UK Priorities (draft)
I will give way to Amanda Bland.
24 Jun 2026 Reform UK Priorities (draft)
I will give way to Amanda Bland.
24 Jun 2026 Reform UK Priorities (draft)
This was an opportunity for Reform to prove everybody wrong and to pepper the chamber this afternoon with speeches that were measured in tone and full of bright ideas to fix the things that are wrong in Scotland. We have heard none of that…
24 Jun 2026 Reform UK Priorities (draft)
This was an opportunity for Reform to prove everybody wrong and to pepper the chamber this afternoon with speeches that were measured in tone and full of bright ideas to fix the things that are wrong in Scotland. We have heard none of that…
24 Jun 2026 Reform UK Priorities (draft)
Does Amanda Lindsay recognise that the biggest threat to women and children in our society is not trans people, but predatory men?
24 Jun 2026 Reform UK Priorities (draft)
Does Amanda Lindsay recognise that the biggest threat to women and children in our society is not trans people, but predatory men?
Seat & career
- Edinburgh North Western Constituency MSP 7 May 2026 – present
- Edinburgh Western Constituency MSP · Dissolution 6 May 2021 – 8 Apr 2026
- Edinburgh Western Constituency MSP · Dissolution 5 May 2016 – 4 May 2021
Allowances
2025 (latest published)
Source: Scottish Parliament (published ~1 year in arrears)
Contact & offices
Constituency
151 St John's Road, Corstorphine, Edinburgh, EH12 7SD
Parliamentary
The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP
Source: this MSP's official Scottish Parliament profile. Last updated 26 Jul 2026.