forceful critic of some aspects of the Scottish Government's policy and performance, especially at First Minister's Question Time. Along with Wendy Alexander and Annabel Goldie, he took his party into the Commission on Scottish Devolution chaired by Sir Kenneth Calman, but was opposed to any suggestion that this would result in powers of the Parliament being returned to Westminster. Resignation as party leader On 2 July 2008, Nicol Stephen announced he was stepping down as party leader with immediate effect because of the pressures of leading a political party while having a young family based in Aberdeen, some distance from Parliament in Edinburgh. Nicol Stephen's resignation took many in Scottish politics by surprise, and came only four days after the resignation of the former leader of Labour in the Scottish Parliament, Wendy Alexander. He was succeeded by Tavish Scott. On 24 September 2010, Nicol Stephen announced he would not be standing again at the Scottish elections in May 2011. House of Lords On 2 February 2011, he was created a life peer as Baron Stephen, of Lower Deeside in the City of Aberdeen, and was introduced in the House of Lords on 7 February 2011, where he sits on the Liberal Democrat benches. He said he would use his new position to help reform the House of Lords. See also List of United Kingdom MPs with the shortest service References External links Nicol Stephen MSP profile at the site of Scottish Liberal Democrats 1960 births Living people Deputy First Ministers of Scotland Leaders of the Scottish Liberal Democrats Scottish Liberal Democrat MPs Liberal Democrat MSPs UK MPs 1987–1992 Members of the Scottish Parliament 1999–2003 Members of the Scottish Parliament 2003–2007 Members of the Scottish Parliament 2007–2011 Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Scottish constituencies Scottish Liberal Democrat councillors Scottish solicitors Alumni of the University of Aberdeen Alumni of the University of Edinburgh People educated at Robert Gordon's College Members of the Scottish Parliament for Aberdeen constituencies Liberal Democrats (UK) life peers Life peers created by Elizabeth II Scottish political candidates Liberal Democrats (UK) parliamentary candidates