Chris Harvie
Encyclopedia
Professor
Christopher Harvie (born September 21, 1944, Motherwell) is a Scottish
historian and a Scottish National Party
politician. He was a Member
of the Scottish Parliament
for Mid Scotland and Fife
from 2007 to 2011. Before his election, he was Professor of British and Irish Studies at the University of Tübingen, Germany
.
and in Edinburgh
at Royal High School
. He studied at the University of Edinburgh
, where he graduated in 1966 with a First Class Honours M.A.
in History. He received his PhD
from Edinburgh in 1972 for a thesis on university liberalism and democracy, 1860-1886.
As a historian, Harvie was the Shaw-Macfie Lang Fellow and a tutor at Edinburgh University 1966-1969. He joined the Open University
in 1969 as a history lecturer, and from 1978 he was a senior lecturer in history. In 1980, Harvie was appointed Professor of British and Irish Studies at the University of Tübingen. He is the author of several books on topics including Scottish history, nationalism
, North Sea oil
, the British political novel and European regionalisation.
Harvie was formerly a member of the Labour Party
. He co-wrote a pamphlet in favour of the Scottish Assembly
along with Gordon Brown
in 1979, and co-edited a history of Labour politics in Scotland. In 1988 he left the Labour Party for the SNP.
He is Honorary President of the Scottish Association for Public Transport and holds honorary chairs at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth
and the University of Strathclyde
. He also writes for Guardian Unlimited
's online 'comment is free
' site, and he is a contributor to the Scottish Review of Books
.
He was elected during the 2007 election
for the Mid Scotland and Fife region. He serves on the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee.http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/eet/index.htm
Harvie won the Free Spirit of the Year award at The Herald (Glasgow)
newspaper's 2008 Scottish Politician of the Year
awards.
He retired as an MSP at the 2011 election.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
Christopher Harvie (born September 21, 1944, Motherwell) is a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
historian and a Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
politician. He was a Member
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
of the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
for Mid Scotland and Fife
Mid Scotland and Fife (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
Mid Scotland and Fife is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
from 2007 to 2011. Before his election, he was Professor of British and Irish Studies at the University of Tübingen, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Life and Career
Harvie grew up in the Borders village of St Boswells and was educated in Kelso at Kelso High SchoolKelso High School (Scotland)
Kelso High School is a secondary school in Kelso, Scotland, under the control of the Scottish Borders Council. It is one of nine secondary schools in the Scottish Borders and the only one in Kelso. Pupils come to Kelso High School from the town of Kelso, the villages of Ednam, Eckford, Heiton,...
and in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
at Royal High School
Royal High School (Edinburgh)
The Royal High School of Edinburgh is a co-educational state school administered by the City of Edinburgh Council. The school was founded in 1128 and is one of the oldest schools in Scotland, and has, throughout its history, been high achieving, consistently attaining well above average exam results...
. He studied at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, where he graduated in 1966 with a First Class Honours M.A.
Master of Arts (Scotland)
A Master of Arts in Scotland can refer to an undergraduate academic degree in humanities and social sciences awarded by the ancient universities of Scotland – the University of St Andrews, the University of Glasgow, the University of Aberdeen and the University of Edinburgh, while the University of...
in History. He received his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Edinburgh in 1972 for a thesis on university liberalism and democracy, 1860-1886.
As a historian, Harvie was the Shaw-Macfie Lang Fellow and a tutor at Edinburgh University 1966-1969. He joined the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
in 1969 as a history lecturer, and from 1978 he was a senior lecturer in history. In 1980, Harvie was appointed Professor of British and Irish Studies at the University of Tübingen. He is the author of several books on topics including Scottish history, nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
, North Sea oil
North Sea oil
North Sea oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons, comprising liquid oil and natural gas, produced from oil reservoirs beneath the North Sea.In the oil industry, the term "North Sea" often includes areas such as the Norwegian Sea and the area known as "West of Shetland", "the Atlantic Frontier" or "the...
, the British political novel and European regionalisation.
Harvie was formerly a member of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. He co-wrote a pamphlet in favour of the Scottish Assembly
Scottish Assembly
The Scottish Assembly was a proposed legislature for Scotland that would have devolved a set list of powers from the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
along with Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
in 1979, and co-edited a history of Labour politics in Scotland. In 1988 he left the Labour Party for the SNP.
He is Honorary President of the Scottish Association for Public Transport and holds honorary chairs at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth
University of Wales, Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth University is a university located in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding Member Institution of the former federal University of Wales. As of late 2006, the university had over 12,000 students spread across seventeen academic departments.The university was founded in 1872 as...
and the University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
. He also writes for Guardian Unlimited
Guardian Unlimited
guardian.co.uk, formerly known as Guardian Unlimited, is a British website owned by the Guardian Media Group. Georgina Henry is the editor...
's online 'comment is free
Guardian.co.uk
guardian.co.uk, formerly known as Guardian Unlimited, is a British website owned by the Guardian Media Group. Georgina Henry is the editor...
' site, and he is a contributor to the Scottish Review of Books
Scottish Review of Books
The Scottish Review of Books is a quarterly literary magazine published in Scotland. . It was established in October 2004 with the support of the Scottish Arts Council. In 2009 it became a limited company with a board of directors, Scottish Review of Books Limited. It is now managed from the...
.
He was elected during the 2007 election
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
for the Mid Scotland and Fife region. He serves on the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee.http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/eet/index.htm
Harvie won the Free Spirit of the Year award at The Herald (Glasgow)
The Herald (Glasgow)
The Herald is a broadsheet newspaper published Monday to Saturday in Glasgow, and available throughout Scotland. As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 47,226, giving it a lead over Scotland's other 'quality' national daily, The Scotsman, published in Edinburgh.The 1889 to 1906 editions...
newspaper's 2008 Scottish Politician of the Year
Scottish Politician of the Year
Scottish Politician of the Year is an annual award established in 1999. It is held by The Herald newspaper in Prestonfield, Edinburgh, Scotland....
awards.
He retired as an MSP at the 2011 election.
External links
- Chris Harvie MSP Scottish Parliament webpage
- Christopher Harvie Comment is free profile
- Election diary
- Christopher Harvie interview on his book Broonland: The Last Days of Gordon Brown on New StatesmanNew StatesmanNew Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
by Jonathan DerbyshireJonathan DerbyshireJonathan Derbyshire is culture editor of the New Statesman. He is also a literary journalist whose work has been published in the Daily Telegraph, The Guardian and the Financial Times.-External links:...