Ian Borthwick Explained

Ian Borthwick is a former independent politician initially a member of the Labour Party^[1] who served in local government starting in 1963, and was Lord Provost of Dundee between 2017 and 2022.

He was Scotland's longest-serving councillor^[2] and Dundee's oldest politician, having celebrated fifty years in local government in June 2013.^[3] He was first elected to Dundee Town Council in 1963, then joined Tayside Regional Council in 1975 and Dundee City Council in 1996.^[4]

In 2017, Borthwick became Lord Provost of Dundee at the age of 78, following an agreement which saw the SNP group on the council form a minority administration.^{[5] [6]}

In 2022, Borthwick retired after sixty years as a councillor and five years as the city's lord provost.

Notes and References

1. News: Lord Provost 'offered OBE to step down'. 27 March 2009. 6 July 2014. The Herald.
2. News: Wilson. Alan. 'Infantile and an affront' — veteran councillor disgusted by scenes in City Chambers. 30 January 2013. 6 July 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140707085947/http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/dundee/infantile-and-an-affront-veteran-councillor-disgusted-by-scenes-in-city-chambers-1.66443. 7 July 2014.
3. News: Reception to mark 50 years as Dundee councillor. 7 June 2013. 6 July 2014. Evening Telegraph. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140707071749/http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/news/local/reception-to-mark-50-years-as-dundee-councillor-1.100010. 7 July 2014.
4. Web site: Keenan. Kevin. Tribute to Ian Borthwick. Dundee Labour Party. 25 June 2013. 6 July 2014.
5. News: Simpson. James. DUNDEE’S NEW LORD PROVOST: ‘I’LL USE MY EXPERIENCE TO BENEFIT CITY’. 11 July 2017. Evening Telegraph. 24 May 2017.
6. News: SNP to form administration with Independent on Dundee City Council. 11 July 2017. BBC News. 12 May 2017.