Dr Alan Thompson served in only one parliament. When he came to Dunfermline with an impressive academic reputation and additional experience as Labour candidate in Galloway as well as Army service 1943-1947.
However some party members felt he had difficulty in empathising with the
constituency work and was much less approachable than his predecessor Jim Clunie.
It also seemed to be the case that the life at Westminster proved disappointing
to Alan Thompson after a distinguished academic career. He married in 1960 and
at that time MP’s did not work family friendly hours or have the facilities
they now enjoy.
Alan Thomson’s resignation was not out of any political issue but rather
personal and family reasons. He returned to academic life at Edinburgh University
and later Heriot-Watt as Professor of the Economics of Government. He was also
visiting professor at Stanford University in the USA.