David Steel

Steel co-chaired the Scottish Constitutional Convention for the Liberal Democrats, securing proportional representation in exchange for his party's support, which guaranteed that no single party would easily dominate the new parliament. He then became its first Presiding Officer from 1999 to 2003, setting procedures and conventions for a chamber with no precedents, including a more consensual, committee-centred style than Westminster's. He was later caught up in criticism over his handling of the Holyrood building costs.