Iain Gray
Iain Gray | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Leader of the Scottish Labour Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Acting 13 June 2015 – 15 August 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
UK party leader | Harriet Harman (acting) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Jim Murphy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Kezia Dugdale | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 13 September 2008 – 17 December 2011 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy | Johann Lamont | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
UK party leader |
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Preceded by | Wendy Alexander | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Johann Lamont | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Scottish Labour portfolios | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
2007–2008 | Shadow Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014–2021 | Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills[a] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Edinburgh, Scotland | 7 June 1957||||||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | Scottish Labour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse | Gillianne McCormack[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alma mater | University of Edinburgh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | www | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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
Initially, Gray oversaw some electoral successes for Scottish Labour, such as repelling SNP challenges at the Glenrothes (2008) and Glasgow North East (2009) by-elections, as well as seeing Scottish Labour retain all their 41 seats in the House of Commons at the 2010 general election; despite the election overall resulting in the first UK hung parliament in 36 years, and the Labour Party being defeated after thirteen years in government. The 2011 Scottish Parliament election proved disastrous for the party, which lost 20 seats as the SNP won an outright majority of seats. Gray himself was only re-elected as MSP for East Lothian with a narrow majority of 151 votes. Gray announced his resignation the day after the result, but remained in post as leader until his successor, Johann Lamont, took over on 17 December 2011.
Due to his experience, Gray was appointed as Acting Leader of the Scottish Labour Party while a leadership and a deputy leadership election were being simultaneously held, on account of deputy leader Kezia Dugdale resigning to run for the leadership and the resignation of previous leader Jim Murphy after Scottish Labour's landslide defeat at the 2015 general election.
Early life and career
Gray was educated at the state comprehensive
Early political career
Having previously stood as a candidate in
Following Jack McConnell becoming First Minister in 2001, Gray was promoted to Minister for Social Justice. After the sudden resignation of Wendy Alexander (following disagreements with McConnell) in 2002,[6] Gray took over her role as Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning, where he was responsible for overseeing changes to Scottish higher education.
At the
Having subsequently a change of mind, he was selected as the official Labour candidate for East Lothian for the 2007 election and subsequently won. Gray was appointed as Scottish Labour's Shadow spokesman for enterprise, energy and tourism upon his return to Holyrood.
Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
Following the resignation of
In December 2010, Iain Gray sparked a diplomatic row when he appeared to claim in parliament that Montenegro had been involved in ethnic cleansing and war crimes during the 1990s Balkans Conflict.[10]
On 7 April 2011, whilst campaigning at
At the 2011 election, Labour suffered a net loss of seven seats, with many of their leading figures being defeated. Labour took a particularly severe beating in its Central Belt heartland, having to rely on regional lists in many cases. It was Labour's worst electoral performance in Scotland in eighty years. Gray himself was re-elected as MSP for East Lothian by the narrowest margin of his political career; with just 151 votes over the SNP candidate, making the Holyrood seat for the first time ever a Labour–SNP marginal. He announced on 6 May that he would stand down as party leader in the autumn.
Later political career
Gray was reappointed to the post of
On 13 June 2015, Gray was appointed Acting Leader of the Scottish Labour Party whilst a leadership and a deputy leadership election were simultaneously held, on account of deputy leader Kezia Dugdale resigning to run for the leadership.[13] At the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, while several Labour MSPs lost their seats, Gray retained his seat with an increased majority compared to 2011.
Gray announced that he would be standing down at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election in June 2020, in order to spend more time with his family.[14]
Gray nominated Anas Sarwar in the 2021 Scottish Labour leadership election.[15]
Personal life
Gray has been married twice.[16] He is a lifelong fan of Edinburgh football club Hibernian,[17] and enjoys reading, music and hill walking. He is a member of the Church of Scotland.[18]
Notes
- ^ Education and Lifelong Learning (2014–15); Opportunity (2015–16)
References
- ^ "GRAY, Iain Cumming". Who's Who. Vol. 2021 (online ed.). A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ a b Wojtas, Olga (10 May 2002). "In the news: Iain Gray". Times Higher Education. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
- ^ "About Iain | Iain Gray". Archived from the original on 10 April 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- guardian.co.uk. London. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
- ^ "Who's who in the Scottish Cabinet". BBC News. 28 November 2001.
- ^ "Profile: Wendy Alexander". The Daily Telegraph. London. 16 August 2007.
- ^ "East Lothian". Archived from the original on 7 October 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ^ "Wendy Alexander: Labour's short-lived Scottish leader". The Guardian. London. 28 June 2008.
- bbc.co.uk. 13 September 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
- ^ "Iain Gray urged to say sorry after 'ethnic cleansing' gaffe sparks diplomatic row - The Scotsman". 17 March 2016. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016.
- ^ a b "Scottish election: Iain Gray targeted by protesters". BBC News. 7 April 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ "Iain Gray seeks refuge in Subway sandwich shop after being confronted by protesters". STV News. 7 April 2011. Archived from the original on 12 April 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ^ "Scottish Labour agree to swathe of party reforms – and new leader will be announced on August 15th". LabourList. 13 June 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
- ^ "East Lothian MSP Iain Gray stepping down from Scottish Parliament to spend more time with family". www.scotsman.com.
- ^ "Scottish Leadership Election 2021 - Nominations". Scottish Labour. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- ^ "WHISP". Archived from the original on 10 June 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
- ^ Aitken, Mark (16 January 2011). "Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray reveals how he fell for wife – at the football". Sunday Mail. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
- ^ Deveney, Catherine (27 March 2011). "Interview: Iain Gray, Scottish Labour leader". Scotland on Sunday. Edinburgh. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
External links
- Scottish Parliament profiles of MSPs: Iain Gray
- Scottish Government biography
- Gray becomes Scots Labour leader BBC News
- Labour frontline team announced BBC News