2. Nicol Stephen is the Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats and MSP for Aberdeen South. He is a former Member of Parliament for the Kincardine and Deeside constituency. He was a member of the teams which negotiated the Partnership Agreements after the Scottish Parliament elections in 1999 and 2003. Nicol is a high profile campaigner for Aberdeen and the North East. In 1992, he set up his own project management and consultancy company, which he ran until he was elected as an MSP in 1999. Nicol graduated in law, studying at both Aberdeen and Edinburgh Universities. He is married and has two sons and two daughters. He lives in Aberdeen
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5. Deputy First Minister Following the resignation of Jim Wallace in May 2005 as leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats , Stephen announced his intention to stand for the leadership. He defeated rival candidate, Mike Rumbles, who advocated ending the coalition agreement with the Scottish Labour Party, Winning 76.6%, becoming the Deputy First Minister on 23 June 2005. Following his leadership victory, a mini reshuffle of the Scottish cabinet, saw him take on the role Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning.
