Michael Moore MP
Michael Moore was elected in 1997 as MP for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, Scotland. He was similarly returned to the successor seat, Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk in the 2005 election. In October 2002 he was elected Deputy Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
Michael read Politics & Modern History at Edinburgh University. After graduating he worked for a year as a researcher for Archy Kirkwood MP before joining the Edinburgh office of accountants Coopers & Lybrand. He qualified as a Scottish chartered accountant, going on to become a manager with the office's corporate finance practice (1993-97).
As an MP his work on local issues includes: the campaign for Assisted Area Status; and for the return of a railway to the Borders; low pay issues in the region; campaigns to encourage pensioners to claim all their entitlements; the problems of the benefits system, tax credits and the Child Support Agency; opposing plans to close rural Post Offices; and working to ensure that Digital switchover is a success for the area.
After his election to parliament he served as the party's transport spokesperson, becoming Deputy Foreign Affairs Spokesperson in 2001 and Shadow Defence Secretary in 2005. During the Liberal Democrat leadership contest he acted as Sir Menzies Campbell's chief of staff, and after Campbell became leader he was appointed Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary.
For three years he was a Governor and Vice Chairman of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, which supports democracy building projects in Africa and other parts of the world. In 2003-4 he was a Parliamentary Visiting Fellow at St Anthony’s College, Oxford. In July 2004 he was elected to the Council of The Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House). Michael is also a member of the British Council Advisory Board and the Programme Committee of the Ditchley Foundation.