Chris Ballance

Chris Ballance
Member of the Highland Council
Incumbent
Assumed office
5 May 2022
ConstituencyAird and Loch Ness
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for South of Scotland
(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
In office
1 May 2003 – 2 April 2007
Personal details
Born (1952-07-07) 7 July 1952 (age 72)
Worcester, England, UK
Political partyScottish Greens

Chris Ballance (born on 7 July 1952) is a Scottish playwright and politician. He is a member of the Scottish Green Party and has been a councillor for the Aird and Loch Ness wards in the Highland Council since 2022. He was also a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the South of Scotland region from 2003 to 2007.

Biography

Born in Worcester, England, he owned and managed a second-hand bookshop in Wigtown, won a Scotsman Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1990,[1][2] and wrote sketches for Radio Scotland.

Political career

He was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2003. He held a seat on the Parliament's Enterprise and Culture Committee and was the Green's Parliamentary business manager and speaker on nuclear issues, culture, and peace.[3] He stood again in the 2007 election but was not re-elected.

In August 2007 he was appointed to the Scottish Broadcasting Commission established by the Scottish Executive.[4]

Ballance stood as a Green candidate in the Aird and Loch Ness ward for the 2017 Highland Council election.[5] He stood again in 2022 and was elected as a councillor.[6]

Personal life

He is a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers).

Plays

  • Water of Life (1989)
  • Bread and Water (1997)
  • Hope Deferred (1997)
  • Viva La Diva (2001)[7]
  • It's My Party (2007)[8]

References

  1. ^ "Holyrood drama takes to the stage". BBC News. 16 February 2007.
  2. ^ The Scotsman guide to Scottish politics by Matthew Spicer page 87 (2004 - ISBN 0748619240)
  3. ^ "Previous MSPs: Session 2 (2003-2007): Chris Ballance". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  4. ^ "Broadcasting commission members". BBC News. 13 August 2007.
  5. ^ "Chris Ballance". higp.scottishgreens.org.uk. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  6. ^ "Highland Council election results". highland.gov.uk. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Singing sensation Florence Foster Jenkins". CBC. 8 August 2008. Archived from the original on 18 February 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  8. ^ "MSP's play on 'ruthless' quest for political power to tour". The Scotsman. Johnston Press. 17 February 2007. Retrieved 19 April 2015.


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