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The Organisation of Scottish Labour is a body established under the national rules of the UK Labour Party.
| | This article needs additional citations for verification .(March 2021) |
The Organisation of Scottish Labour is a body established under the national rules of the UK Labour Party.
| |
Origins and evolution of Scottish Labour
The Scottish Executive Committee is the governing body of the Scottish Labour Party, responsible for administrative matters and strategic policy direction. The SEC officially meets every second month, with much of day-to-day party business and operations undertaken in groups and commissions. The SEC has three different membership sections – Constituency Labour Party (CLP) members, elected members and trade unions and affiliates. It is further split into the local government sub-committee and the constitution, fundraising and campaigns working groups.
Membership as of 2021: [1]
Office Bearers
Elected Members
Constituency Labour Party members
Trade Union Section
Scottish Labour Women's Committee
Co-operative Party & Socialist Societies
Scottish Young Labour
| Chair | Vice-chair | |
|---|---|---|
| 1917 | Robert Stewart | |
| 1918–1923 | ||
| 1924 | William Shaw | |
| 1925–1928 | ||
| 1929 | Joseph Waugh | H. Pilkington |
| 1930 | ||
| 1931 | A. W. Brady | |
| 1932–1936 | ||
| 1937 | Mary Auld | |
| 1938 | James McInnes | |
| 1939–1944 | ||
| 1945 | John Lang | Jean Mann |
| 1946 | John Ross | Sinclair Shaw |
| 1947 | R. A. Raffan | |
| 1948–1950 | ||
| 1951 | Margaret Hyde | |
| 1952 | Tom Hollywood | |
| 1953 | John Lang | |
| 1954 | Eustace Willis | Magnus Fairnie |
| 1955 | M. McNeill | Robert Young |
| 1956 | Robert Young | John Cullion |
| 1957 | ||
| 1958 | Jean Saggar | |
| 1959 | John D. Pollock | |
| 1960 | ||
| 1961 | Jenny Auld | |
| 1962 | W. J. Fraser | |
| 1963 | R. Irvine | |
| 1964 | Richard Stewart | |
| 1965 | David Lambie | |
| 1966 | M. Lonsdale | |
| 1967 | A. Bell | |
| 1968 | A. Mackie | |
| 1969 | J. Reid | |
| 1970 | C. Donnett | |
| 1971 | John D. Pollock | |
| 1972 | P. Talbot | |
| 1973 | Allan Campbell McLean | F. Gromill |
| 1974 | F. Gromill | Tom Fulton |
| 1975 | Tom Fulton | E. McKenzie |
| 1976 | Charlotte Haddow | George Robertson |
| 1977 | George Robertson | Janey Buchan |
| 1978 | Janey Buchan | Sam Gooding |
| 1979 | Sam Gooding | Donald Macgregor |
| 1980 | Donald Macgregor | |
| 1981 | George Galloway | James McCafferty |
| 1982 | James McCafferty | Gordon Brown |
| 1983 | Gordon Brown | |
| 1984 | Doug Henderson | John Walker |
| 1985–1986 | ||
| 1987 | Bill Speirs | |
| 1988 | ||
| 1989 | Mark Lazarowicz | |
| 1990–1994 | ||
| 1995 | Rhona Brankin | |
| 1996–2001 | ||
| 2002 | Carol Wright | Richard Leonard |
| 2003 | Richard Leonard | Pat Devine |
| 2004 | Pat Devine | Sandra Macdonald |
| 2005 | Sandra Macdonald | Karie Murphy |
| 2006 | Karie Murphy | Stuart Clark |
| 2007 | Stuart Clark | Dave Watson |
| 2008 | Dave Watson | Claudia Beamish |
| 2009 | Claudia Beamish | Philomena Muggins |
| 2010 | Philomena Muggins | Victoria Jamieson |
| 2011–12 | Victoria Jamieson | Jackson Cullinane |
| 2013 | Jackson Cullinane | Jamie Glackin |
| 2014–16 | Jamie Glackin | Jacqueline Martin |
| 2017 | Linda Stewart | Kevin Lindsay |
| 2018 | Linda Stewart | Cathy Peattie |
| 2019 | Cathy Peattie | Cara Hilton |
| 2020 | Cara Hilton | Ian Miller |
| 2021 | Cara Hilton | Karen Whitefield |
| 2022 | Karen Whitefield | Scott Arthur |
The Scottish Policy Forum (SPF) is a body of the Scottish Labour Party responsible for developing a rolling policy programme on devolved matters. [2] The Scottish Annual Conference approves policies of the SPF programme every year with the Scottish Executive Committee (in conjunction with a committee from the Scottish Parliament Labour Group) deciding which items of the programme are to be incorporated in Labour's manifesto for the Scottish Parliament elections. The SPF policy-making process is led by the 80 members elected from all sections of the party. The SPF establishes policy commissions to draw together policy discussion documents for consultation over three stages. The SPF is subordinate and feeds reports to the National Policy Forum.
The General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party, subordinate to the General Secretary of the Labour Party, is the administrative head and the most senior permanent staff member of the Scottish Labour Party. The General Secretary is responsible for running the party's organisation: legal affairs, staff management, campaigns, conferences, and liaising with the UK party. They also act as the Registered Treasurer, responsible for the party's financial accounts.
| General Secretary | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| 1914–1931 | Ben Shaw | |
| 1932–1939 | Arthur Woodburn | |
| 1939–1951 | John Taylor | |
| 1951–1977 | Willie Marshall | |
| 1977–1988 | Helen Liddell [3] | |
| 1988–1992 | Murray Elder [4] | |
| 1992–1998 | Jack McConnell [5] [6] [7] | Left role in 1998 to work for 9 months at lobbying firm Public Affairs Europe Ltd, owned by Beattie Media and Maclay Murray & Spens [8] In 1999, elected as Motherwell and Wishaw MSP and became First Minister of Scotland in 2001 Elevated to House of Lords as Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale in 2010 [9] |
| 1998–1999 | Alex Rowley [10] [11] [12] [13] | Sacked as general secretary after setting out proposals for giving Scottish Labour more freedom from London control [14] Went on to become a Fife councillor, Leader of Fife Council, and MSP for Cowdenbeath Elected Scottish Labour deputy leader in 2014 however stood down in 2017 following allegations of misconduct from a former partner |
| 1999–2008 | Lesley Quinn [15] | Joined the Labour Party as a 16-year-old junior shorthand typist [16] [17] As assistant general secretary, became acting general secretary in June 1999 to coordinate 1999 European election campaign [18] Formally appointed as general secretary in November 1999 Stood down at 2008 Scottish Labour conference in Aviemore in March |
| 2008–2012 | Colin Smyth | Dumfries and Galloway councillor for Nith Ward [19] Elected as a regional member for South Scotland at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election |
| 2012–2013 | Brian Roy (acting) | |
| 2013–2014 | Ian Price | |
| 2014 | Fiona Stanton (acting) | |
| 2014–2019 | Brian Roy [20] | |
| 2019–2020 | Lorna Finlayson (interim) | |
| 2020 | Michael Sharpe | |
| 2021–present | Drew Smith (Acting) |
| Director of Communications | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Paul McKinney [24] [25] | April 1998 to 21 May 1998 Headhunted by Donald Dewar and Gordon Brown [26] Ran Labour's Scottish press campaign in the 1992 general election Four years as an aide/researcher to Gordon Brown, alongside Pat McFadden and David Miliband Head of STV news production until April 1998 [27] Returned to STV from 1998 until 2004 Worked for Oxfam from 2004 until 2006, when he joined Al Jazeera |
| 1998–1999 | Lorraine Davidson [28] | July 1998 to July 1999 |
| 2000–2002 | John Scott [29] | From February 2000 |
| 2001–2005 | Colin Edgar [30] [31] | |
| 2006–2007 | Steven Lawther [32] | |
| 2007 | Brian Lironi [33] | |
| 2007 | Matthew Marr [34] | |
| 2007 | Gavin Yates [35] | |
| 2007–2008 | Tony McElroy [36] [37] [38] [39] | |
| 2008 | Rami Okasha | |
| 2019 | Conrad Landin |
| Secretary of State for Scotland | Under-Secretary of State for Scotland | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–1999 | Donald Dewar | Henry McLeish Brian Wilson Helen Liddell |
| 1999–2001 | Dr John Reid | Brian Wilson |
| 2001–2003 | Helen Liddell | George Foulkes Anne McGuire |
| 2003–2006 | Alistair Darling | Anne McGuire David Cairns |
| 2006–2007 | Douglas Alexander | David Cairns |
| 2007–2008 | Des Browne | David Cairns |
| 2008–2010 | Jim Murphy | Ann McKechin |
Special Advisers to Donald Dewar
As Secretary of State for Scotland (1997–1999): [40]
As First Minister (1999–2000): [42]
1999 [46] [47] [48] [49] [50] [51] [52]
Donors
2010 general election expenditure: £968,000 [59]
| Year | Income | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 706,738 | 599,951 |
| 2009 | 387,722 | 307,925 |
| 2008 | 396,159 | 455,699 |
| 2007 | 1,029,358 | 940,851 |
| 2006 | 396,777 | 471,698 |
| 2005 | 523,523 | 437,219 |
| 2004 | 318,609 | 305,120 |
| 2003 | 858,547 | 920,233 |
| 2002 | 353,342 | 320,669 |
Donald Campbell Dewar was a Scottish statesman and politician who served as the inaugural first minister of Scotland and leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 1999 until his death in 2000. He previously served as Secretary of State for Scotland from 1997 to 1999. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow Anniesland from 1978 to 2000. Dewar was also Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the equivalent seat from 1999 to 2000.
Alexander Neil is a Scottish politician who served as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing from 2012 to 2014 and Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' Rights from 2014 to 2016. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), he was the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Airdrie and Shotts constituency from 2011 until his retirement in 2021.
John Ramsay Swinney is a Scottish politician who has served as the First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since May 2024. He previously served as the leader of the SNP from 2000 to 2004 as Leader of the Opposition, and held various roles within the Scottish Cabinet from 2007 to 2023 under First Ministers Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon. Swinney was Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for North Tayside from 1999 to 2011 and, following boundary changes, has been MSP for Perthshire North since 2011. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Tayside North from 1997 to 2001.
The politics of Scotland operate within the constitution of the United Kingdom, of which Scotland is a country. Scotland is a democracy, being represented in both the Scottish Parliament and the Parliament of the United Kingdom since the Scotland Act 1998. Most executive power is exercised by the Scottish Government, led by the First Minister of Scotland, the head of government in a multi-party system. The judiciary of Scotland, dealing with Scots law, is independent of the legislature and the Scottish Government. Scots law is primarily determined by the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Government shares some executive powers with the Scotland Office, a British government department led by the Secretary of State for Scotland.
The first minister of Scotland, formally known as the First Minister and Keeper of the Scottish Seal, is the head of the Scottish Government and also serves as the keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland whilst in office.
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Wendy Alexander is a retired Scottish politician and the former Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Paisley North. She held various Scottish Government cabinet posts and was the Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2007 to 2008. In 2010–2011 she convened the Scotland Bill Committee on financial powers of the Scottish Parliament.
Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale, is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 2001 to 2007. McConnell served as the Minister for Finance from 1999 to 2000 and Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs from 2000 to 2001. He has been a Labour life peer in the House of Lords since 2010 and previously served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Motherwell and Wishaw from 1999 to 2011.
Henry Baird McLeish is a Scottish politician, author, academic and former professional footballer who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2000 to 2001. With a term of 1 year, 12 days, he is the shortest serving holder of that office. He served as the Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 2000 to 2001.
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Johann MacDougall Lamont is a Scottish Labour Co-operative politician who served as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2011 to 2014. She was previously a junior Scottish Executive minister from 2004 to 2007 and Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2008 until her election to the leadership in 2011. In addition to her ministerial and leadership roles, she has been a campaigner on equality issues and violence against women throughout her political career.
Susan Catherine Deacon is a Scottish business executive, advisor and former politician who served as Chair of the Scottish Police Authority from 2017 to 2019. A member of the Scottish Labour Party, she served as the first Minister for Health and Community Care in the Scottish Executive under first ministers Donald Dewar and Henry McLeish from 1999 to 2001.
Catherine Mary Jamieson is a Scottish business director, currently a director at Kilmarnock Football Club and former politician. She served as the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 2000 to 2008. She previously served in the Scottish Executive as Minister for Justice from 2003 to 2007 and Minister for Education and Young People from 2001 to 2003. Jamieson was Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley from 1999 to 2011 and was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Kilmarnock and Loudoun from 2010 to 2015.
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David Whitton is a Scottish journalist, Labour Party politician and former Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP). He was elected to the Scottish Parliament for Strathkelvin and Bearsden in 2007, defeating the incumbent Independent MSP Jean Turner, and losing the seat at the 2011 election to Fiona McLeod of the Scottish National Party.
Anas Sarwar is a Scottish Labour and Co-operative politician who has served as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party since 2021. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow region since 2016, having been Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow Central from 2010 to 2015.
Kezia Alexandra Ross Dugdale is a Scottish former politician who served as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2015 to 2017. A former member of the Scottish Labour Party and Co-operative Party, she was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Lothian region from 2011 to 2019.
The 2000 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 death of Donald Dewar, the inaugural leader and first minister of Scotland. Henry McLeish successfully defeated Jack McConnell, by 44 to 36 votes, and was subsequently appointed to office.
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