Draft:Iain Donaldson

Iain Colin Donaldson (born 13 June 1964) is a Liberal Democrat politician in Manchester. He was a councillor for the Burnage ward until 2011, and was previously councillor for the Gorton North ward. He has stood for parliament three times: for Denton and Reddish in the 1997 General Election, for Manchester Blackley in the 2005 General Election where he achieved a 7% swing from Labour and a clear second place, and in the 2024 Rochdale by-election where he finished fifth.

Donaldson is a founding member of the Liberal Democrats (1988), having never been a member of any other political party. First elected to the City Council in 1992, Donaldson took the lead for the Liberal Democrats in a community campaign that forced Tameside Council, Arrowsmith Holdings and United Utilities to two public enquiries, and resulted in a major victory against their plans to build a Business Park on local green space and reservoirs. The campaign was of national significance as it established for the first time the right of the Secretary of State to declare that a planning permission could be refused, but only minded to be granted, prior to the application being heard.

Donaldson served as the Liberal Democrat Planning Spokesperson in the Town Hall, and led the Party's contribution to the campaign to prevent over-development of Manchester's Historic Free Trade Hall, whilst retaining the listed fascia of the building. He was also instrumental in the campaign to save Gorton Monastery, a Grade II Listed Pugin building in East Manchester. He also has encouraged, nurtured and helped the Gorton Community Forum.

Donaldson played a key part in the National Campaign by Lesbian and Gay campaign groups to secure justice for the so-called 'Bolton Seven' by persuading Members of Parliament to table an early day motion. The case involved seven men being tried for indecency following the theft of a private video from the home of one of the men. This campaign helped to inform the debate which led to the equalisation of many equality laws in the UK.