Bruce Millan (5 October 1927 – 21 February 2013) was a British
Labour
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
politician who served as a
European Commissioner
A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each member within the Commission holds a specific portfolio. The commission is led by the President of the European Commission. In simple terms they are the equivalent ...
from 1989 to 1995.
Early life
He was born in
Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
and educated at the
Harris Academy
Harris Academy is a co-educational comprehensive school in the West End of Dundee, Scotland. Harris Academy was founded in 1885 and is the oldest state school in Dundee. Harris Academy is also one of the largest state run schools in Dundee in ...
in that city.
Parliamentary career
Millan unsuccessfully contested
West Renfrewshire in the
1951 general election and
Glasgow Craigton in
that of 1955.
He was elected as
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) for Glasgow Craigton at the
1959 general election and served for that seat, and after its abolition in 1983 for
Glasgow Govan, until 1988.
He served in the
Wilson government of 1964–1970 as
Under-Secretary of State for the Air Force from 1964 to 1966, as
Under-Secretary of State for Scotland
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland is a junior ministerial post (of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State rank) in the Government of the United Kingdom, supporting the Secretary of State for Scotland. The post is also know ...
from 1966 to 1970, and in the
Callaghan government of 1976–1979 as
Secretary of State for Scotland
The secretary of state for Scotland ( gd, Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba; sco, Secretar o State fir Scotland), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the Unit ...
;
he subsequently served as
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
The Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland is a member of the UK Shadow Cabinet responsible for the scrutiny of the Secretary of State for Scotland and his/her department, the Scotland Office. The incumbent holder of the office is Ian Murray. ...
under new leader
Michael Foot
Michael Mackintosh Foot (23 July 19133 March 2010) was a British Labour Party politician who served as Labour Leader from 1980 to 1983. Foot began his career as a journalist on ''Tribune'' and the ''Evening Standard''. He co-wrote the 1940 p ...
. At the time of the
1981 Labour Party Shadow Cabinet election
Elections to the Labour Party's Shadow Cabinet (more formally, its "Parliamentary Committee") took place on 19 November 1981. There were 15 posts, rather than 12 as in previous years. In addition to the 15 members elected, the Leader (Michael Fo ...
, the first time Millan won election to the Shadow Cabinet, he was described by ''
The Glasgow Herald
''The Herald'' is a Scottish broadsheet newspaper founded in 1783. ''The Herald'' is the longest running national newspaper in the world and is the eighth oldest daily paper in the world. The title was simplified from ''The Glasgow Herald'' in ...
'' as being identified with the "Centre-to-right" of the Labour Party.
After Parliament
Millan left Parliament in 1988, by applying for the
Chiltern Hundreds
The Chiltern Hundreds is an ancient administrative area in Buckinghamshire, England, composed of three " hundreds" and lying partially within the Chiltern Hills. "Taking the Chiltern Hundreds" refers to one of the legal fictions used to effect r ...
, in order to take up the post of
European Commissioner for Regional Policy
The Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms is a portfolio within the European Commission. The current Commissioner is Elisa Ferreira.
The portfolio is responsible for managing the regional policy of the European Union, such as the European Region ...
and Cohesion, which he held until 1995.
The vacancy he left was filled by
Jim Sillars
James Sillars (born 4 October 1937) is a Scottish politician and campaigner for Scottish independence. Sillars served as a Labour Party MP for South Ayrshire from 1970 to 1976. He founded and led the pro- Scottish Home Rule Scottish Labour ...
of the
SNP in the noteworthy
Glasgow Govan by-election of 1988.
In 1991, Millan received an Honorary Doctorate from
Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University ( gd, Oilthigh Heriot-Watt) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and subsequently granted univ ...
.
Between 1999 and 2001 he chaired the
Millan Committee, which proposed reforms to the provision of
mental health care in Scotland.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Millan, Bruce
1927 births
2013 deaths
Alumni of the University of Dundee
Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staff-sponsored MPs
British European Commissioners
Deaths from pneumonia in Scotland
Deaths from bronchopneumonia
Honorary Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Glasgow constituencies
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Ministers in the Wilson governments, 1964–1970
People educated at Harris Academy
People from Dundee
Politicians from Dundee
Scottish Labour MPs
Secretaries of State for Scotland
UK MPs 1959–1964
UK MPs 1964–1966
UK MPs 1966–1970
UK MPs 1970–1974
UK MPs 1974
UK MPs 1974–1979
UK MPs 1979–1983
UK MPs 1983–1987
UK MPs 1987–1992