2008 Scottish Labour Leadership Election
The 2008 Scottish Labour Party leadership election was an internal party election to choose a new leader of the Labour Party in the Scottish Parliament, and was triggered following the resignation of Wendy Alexander following a row over donations to her own leadership campaign in 2007. Iain Gray won the contest and was announced as leader on 13 September 2008. It was the second Scottish Labour leadership election in as many years, the first being caused by the resignation of Jack McConnell, following the Scottish National Party's victory over Labour in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, however in this election, Alexander was unopposed, meaning that no ballot actually took place. The timetable for the election was finalised on Monday 28 July, having been put on hold for a month to allow the party to focus on the Glasgow East by-election, which ultimately saw the Scottish National Party overturn a 13,507 Labour majority to gain the seat. Nominations closed at noon on Frida ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Iain Gray
Iain Cumming Gray (born 7 June 1957) is a Scottish politician who served as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2008 to 2011. He was the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the East Lothian constituency from 2007 to 2021, having previously represented Edinburgh Pentlands from 1999 to 2003. A former aid worker and teacher of mathematics and physics, Gray was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999 as MSP for the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency, which he lost to Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party David McLetchie in 2003. Gray was returned to Holyrood in 2007 as MSP for East Lothian. Following Wendy Alexander's resignation as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party in 2008, Gray stood at the subsequent leadership election, and was elected with a 57.8% share of the vote in the second round. Initially, Gray oversaw some electoral successes for Scottish Labour, such as repelling SNP challenges at the Glenrothes (2008) and Glasgow North East (2009) ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Claire Baker
Claire Josephine Baker (née Brennan; born 4 March 1971) is a Scottish Labour politician who has served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Mid Scotland and Fife region since 2007. Early life and career Claire Baker was born on 4 March 1971 in Dunfermline to Margaret (''née'' Edgar) and James Brennan. She grew up in Kelty, and attended primary and secondary schools in Fife. She studied for an MA (Hons) in English Language and Literature at the University of Edinburgh and in 1997 was awarded a PhD from the University of Glasgow. Career Baker worked in a variety of research and policy posts. This included working as a Research Officer for the Scottish Parliamentary Labour Group from 1999–2002, Research Officer for the trade union Amicus from 2002–2004, and as Research and Information Manager at the Royal College of Nursing, Scotland from 2004–2005. Immediately prior to being elected to the Scottish Parliament, she was Policy Manager for the Scottish Cou ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Paul Martin (Scottish Politician)
Paul Martin (born 17 March 1967) is a Scottish politician who served as Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow Provan (Scottish Parliament constituency), Glasgow Provan constituency from 2011 Scottish Parliament election, 2011 to 2016 Scottish Parliament election, 2016. A member of the Scottish Labour, Scottish Labour Party, he previously represented Glasgow Springburn (Scottish Parliament constituency), Glasgow Springburn from 1999 Scottish Parliament election, 1999 to 2011. Early life and education Paul Martin was born in 1967 in Glasgow, the son of Michael Martin, Baron Martin of Springburn, Michael Martin (1945–2018), a sheet metal worker, and Mary Martin (''née'' McLay), an assembly worker. His parents had married the previous year. Michael was a member of the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party and would go on to become a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP), Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom), Speaker of the House o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Marlyn Glen
Marlyn Glen (born 30 September 1951) is a Scottish Labour Party politician. She was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the North East Scotland region from 2003 to 2011. Glen was born in Dundee and educated at Kirkton High School. She attended the University of St Andrews and the University of Dundee, and has also completed several Open University degree courses. Prior to her election to Holyrood, she worked as a teacher in Liverpool, Ayr, Irvine and Dundee and is a member of the Educational Institute of Scotland trade union. She was also a Dundee District Council councillor. Her husband, Neil Glen, was also a councillor and died in 2004. She was also an Honorary Vice President of English-Speaking Union Scotland. Glen is on the left of the Scottish Labour Party and remains a supporter of the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. She is also a member of Campaign for Socialism that backed John McDonnell's then Jeremy Corbyn's bids for the leadership of the UK La ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Margaret Curran
Margaret Patricia Curran (born 24 November 1958) is a Scottish Labour Party politician. She served in the British House of Commons as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow East from 2010 to 2015 and was Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland from 2011 until 2015. She was previously the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Baillieston from 1999 to 2011, and held a number of posts within the Scottish Executive, including Minister for Parliamentary Business, Minister for Social Justice and Minister for Communities. Early life and education Curran was born in Glasgow, the daughter of Irish parents James Curran and Rose McConnellogue. She was educated at Our Lady and St Francis School in Glasgow. Curran attended the University of Glasgow, where she graduated with an MA degree in History and Economic History in 1981. She first became politically active in the university's Labour Club in the late 1970s, where she was associated with future Scottish Labour lead ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ken Macintosh
Kenneth Donald Macintosh (born 15 January 1962) is a Scottish politician who served as the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament from 2016 to 2021. Elected as a member of Scottish Labour, he suspended his party membership on becoming Presiding Officer. Macintosh was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) from 1999 to 2021, representing the Eastwood constituency from 1999 to 2016, and then the West Scotland region from 2016 to 2021. Born in Inverness, Macintosh was employed between 1987 and 1999 as a television producer for the BBC, working on its news broadcasts and election coverage. He was first elected in the 1999 Scottish Parliament election as a Scottish Labour and Co-operative Party candidate, and retained his seat of Eastwood in the 2003, 2007 and the 2011 elections, but lost it in the 2016 election. In that election, he was returned on the regional list. Early life Family background and education Kenneth Donald Macintosh was born on 15 January 19 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Patricia Ferguson
Patricia Josephine Ferguson (born 24 September 1958, Glasgow) is a Scottish Labour Party politician who was the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Maryhill constituency from 1999 until 2011 and for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn from 2011 until 2016. Background Ferguson was educated at Garnethill Convent Secondary School in Glasgow between 1970 and 1976, and at Glasgow College of Technology, where she obtained an HNC in Public Administration in 1978. She spent part of her childhood living in the city's Red Road Flats. Prior to entering the Scottish Parliament, she worked as a health service administrator between 1978 and 1990, with the Scottish Trades Union Congress between 1990 and 1994, and with the Scottish Labour Party between 1994 and 1999. Member of the Scottish Parliament She was first elected as an MSP in 1999 for the newly created Glasgow Maryhill constituency, a seat she held until 2011 when Glasgow Maryhill was merged with other constituencie ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Rhona Brankin
Rhona Brankin (born 19 January 1950) is a former Scottish Labour-Co-operative politician who served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Midlothian constituency. She was first elected in 1999 and was re-elected in 2003 and 2007. She was one of six female Labour MSPs to stand down in 2011. Background Brankin is a graduate of the University of Aberdeen and before entering the Scottish Parliament she was a teacher and a lecturer on special educational needs. She was former Chair of the Scottish Labour Party. She is married with two grown-up daughters. In early 2000, Brankin was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had a mastectomy at St. John's Hospital in Livingston, which successfully removed the cancer. Scottish Parliament Brankin was Deputy Minister for Culture and Sport in the Scottish Executive from 1999–2000 and Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development from 2000–2001. In October 2004 she was appointed Deputy Minister for Health and Communit ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cathie Craigie
Cathie Craigie (born 14 April 1954) is a former Scottish Labour politician who served as Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency from 1999 to 2011. Early life and career Craigie was born in Stirling on 14 April 1954. She was a district councillor of Cumbernauld and Kilsyth from 1984 to 1994 and district leader from 1994 to 1996. She served as a North Lanarkshire North Lanarkshire ( sco, North Lanrikshire; gd, Siorrachd Lannraig a Tuath) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It als ... councillor between 1996 and 1999. Parliamentary career Craigie was first elected to the Scottish Parliament at the 1999 election. She was re-elected to represent the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency in 2003 with a majority of 520 votes and in 2007 with an increased majority of 2,079. However, at the 2011 electi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sarah Boyack
Sarah Herriot Boyack (born 16 May 1961) is a Scottish Labour politician who has served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Lothian region since 2019, and previously from 2011 to 2016. She formerly represented the Edinburgh Central constituency from 1999 to 2011. Early life and career Boyack was born in May 1961 in Glasgow and brought up in Edinburgh. Her father, Jim Boyack, was an important figure in the Labour Party and the campaign for Scottish devolution. She was educated at the state comprehensive Royal High School, Edinburgh, where she was one of the first female pupils. Starting in 1979, Boyack studied Modern History and Politics at the University of Glasgow, graduating with a Scottish MA Honours degree. She became active in the Labour club, where she was a protégé of Margaret Curran. She was chair of the Labour club from 1981 until 1982, and chair of the National Organisation of Labour Students from 1985 until 1986. During her time at Glasgow, she was ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Karen Gillon
Karen Macdonald Gillon (' Turnbull; born 18 August 1967) is a Scottish Labour Party politician who served as Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the constituency of Clydesdale from 1999 to 2011. Early life and career Gillon was born in 1967 in Edinburgh to Edith Turnbull. She was educated at the state comprehensive Jedburgh Grammar School before going on to study at the University of Birmingham. Before entering politics, she worked in community education. From 1997 until 1999, she served as personal assistant to Helen Liddell MP. Political career Gillon was elected in the 1999 Scottish Parliament election, taking 16,755 votes (43.02%). She was re elected in 2003 with 14,800 votes (46.62%) and in 2007 with 13,835 votes (41.5%). She served as Labour's spokesperson on rural development until her defeat in 2011. Gillon was co-chair of the ''Cross Party Group on Malawi'' and worked with civic society across Scotland and in the constituency of Clydesdale, to develop bet ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Malcolm Chisholm
Malcolm George Richardson Chisholm (born 7 March 1949) is a Scottish politician who served as Minister for Health and Community Care from 2001 to 2004 and Minister for Communities from 2004 to 2006. A member of the Scottish Labour Party, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Edinburgh North and Leith, formerly Edinburgh Leith, from 1992 to 2001 and Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the equivalent seat and its successor from 1999 to 2016. Career Chisholm was Member of Parliament for Edinburgh Leith from 1992, then Edinburgh North and Leith from 1997. He served as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland responsible for local government and transport minister for a few months in 1997; but resigned over single parent benefit cuts. He remained an MP until 2001, when he stood down from the House of Commons in order to concentrate on the Scottish Parliament, to which he was elected in 1999 for the same constituency. Chisholm became Minister for Health a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |