George Reid secured a memorable election victory

George Reid's appointment as the new presiding officer for the Scottish Parliament was his second memorable election victory in a matter of days.

The Scottish National Party veteran had been threatened with a return to the political wilderness after being relegated to fifth place on his party's regional list for Mid Scotland and Fife.

That meant that the 63-year-old - who was elected through that list in 1999 - had to defeat Labour's former deputy justice minister Richard Simpson in the Ochil constituency to return to Holyrood.

Mr Reid, who was born in Tullibody, duly achieved that feat in a close contest which left him with a majority of less than 300.

The victory was a repeat of his 1974 success, when he won the then Mid Clackmannan and East Stirling seat to become an SNP MP.

Keen eye

He said there was a "very pleasing symmetry" in his return to representing the community from where he came.

Mr Reid was a deputy presiding officer in the first session of the Scottish Parliament.

During that time he displayed a keen eye for parliamentary procedures and was able to keep even the most unruly MSPs in line.

He also made his mark with memorable contributions on debates as diverse as sludge spreading in Fife and the war in Iraq.

Sir David Steel retired as presiding officer

Mr Reid never hid the fact that he would like the top job when Sir David Steel went into retirement.

The former journalist began his professional career in 1962 with the Daily Express.

He then moved into broadcasting, where he spent five years as the head of news and current affairs with Scottish Television.

He served for five years at Westminster before losing his seat in 1979.

He returned to television to work with the BBC, then went on to be director of public affairs with the Red Cross from 1984 to 1996.

Mr Reid worked as a freelance consultant for three years before re-entering elected politics as an MSP in 1999.