Margaret Curran
Margaret Curran | |
---|---|
Minister for Communities[1] | |
In office 9 May 2002 – 4 October 2004 | |
First Minister | Jack McConnell |
Preceded by | Iain Gray |
Succeeded by | Malcolm Chisholm |
Member of Parliament for Glasgow East | |
In office 6 May 2010 – 30 March 2015 | |
Preceded by | John Mason |
Succeeded by | Natalie McGarry |
Member of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow Baillieston | |
In office 6 May 1999 – 22 March 2011 | |
Preceded by | Constituency established |
Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
Personal details | |
Born | Margaret Patricia Curran 24 November 1958 Glasgow, Scotland |
Political party | Labour |
Spouse | Rab Murray |
Children | 2 |
Alma mater | University of Glasgow |
Margaret Patricia Curran (born 24 November 1958) is a
Early life and education
Curran was born in Glasgow, the daughter of Irish parents James Curran and Rose McConnellogue.[2][3] 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 leader Johann Lamont and future Labour MSP Sarah Boyack. She held several posts in Labour student politics, including secretary and vice-chair of Glasgow University Labour Club, and chair and secretary of the Scottish Organisation of Labour Students. In 1977, she was involved in the unsuccessful campaign to elect Hortensia Allende, the former First Lady of Chile, as Rector of the University of Glasgow.
She was a community worker, and then a lecturer in community education at the
Member of the Scottish Parliament
In 1999 Curran was elected to the new
She was re-elected comfortably in 2003 and again in 2007. Given Scottish Labour's losses in that later election, she was widely viewed as a popular potential successor to Jack McConnell as its leader, but decided not to stand against Wendy Alexander. Curran pledged her support to Iain Gray who was standing against Cathy Jamieson and Andy Kerr. Iain Gray was voted Scottish Labour Party Leader and appointed Curran to manage the party's 2011 election manifesto.[6] She stood down as MSP for Glasgow Baillieston at the 2011 Scottish election.
2008 Glasgow East by-election
On 30 June 2008, David Marshall, MP for Glasgow East, resigned from the House of Commons on grounds of ill health, triggering a by-election.[7] The Labour candidate for the by-election was to have been announced on 4 July,[8] though the announcement was postponed when the likely choice, local councillor George Ryan, chose to withdraw from the nomination process.[9] On 5 July, Curran placed herself forward for nomination on the Labour Party's shortlist and was confirmed as their candidate on 7 July.[10][11] The by-election took place on 24 July 2008 and Curran was defeated by John Mason of the Scottish National Party by 365 votes.[12] The swing from Labour was 22.54%.
Member of Parliament
At the 2010 general election, Curran regained Glasgow East for Labour from the Scottish National Party. After her electoral victory was announced, she walked out with the other candidates from the platform, refusing to make a speech whilst sharing the platform with the British National Party candidate. From 2010 to 2011, she was Shadow Minister for Disabled People.[13][14]
On 7 October 2011, in a
At the
Views on Alex Salmond
Curran was known to have a particularly difficult relationship with
Personal life
She and her husband Robert "Rab" Murray live in Glasgow with their two sons. Curran listed her recreations in
Her son Chris Murray is the Labour prospective parliamentary candidate for Edinburgh East at the next general election.[22]
References
- ^ Social Justice (2002–03)
- ^ "Margaret Curran – wearing her heart on her sleeve". LabourList. 22 April 2013.
- ^ . Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ "Curran leads attack on antisocial behaviour". Community Care. Mark Allen Group.[dead link]
- ^ "Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Bill". Archived from the original on 25 December 2010.
- ^ a b James Maxwell (7 October 2011). "Margaret Curran will struggle against the SNP". New Statesman.
- ^ "By-election looms after MP quits". BBC News. 30 June 2008. Retrieved 30 June 2008.
- ^ "Campaigning starts in by-election". BBC News. 4 July 2008. Retrieved 4 July 2008.
- ^ "Labour man quits by-election race". BBC News. 5 July 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
- ^ "Labour MSP joins by-election race". BBC Scotland. 5 July 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
- ^ "Curran takes on by-election fight". BBC News. 7 July 2008. Retrieved 7 July 2008.
- ^ SNP stuns Labour in Glasgow East, BBC News, 25 July 2008
- ^ Staff writer (12 October 2010). "Other shadow work and pensions ministers". BBC News. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ^ Dailyrecord.co.uk (7 October 2011). "Ex-MSP Margaret Curran 'privileged' to have joined Labour's shadow cabinet". Daily Record. Scotland. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ^ "Cabinet reshuffle: Miliband promotes Curran to Scotland job".
- ^ Johnson, Simon (9 November 2012). "Margaret Curran accuses Alex Salmond of 'casual dishonesty'". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ Leftly, Mark (10 August 2014). "Scotland: Women say No to 'blokeish' First Minister Alex Salmond". The Independent.
- ^ Rhodes, Mandy (28 November 2011). "Maggie, Maggie, Maggie". Holyrood. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ Online Editor (28 November 2011). "'If Salmond run down by bus – I wouldn't ask who did it' says Labour MP".
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has generic name (help) - ^ "'Women will see through Alex Salmond's speech'". ITV News. 12 April 2014.
- ^ Dinnie, Steven (16 January 2015). "Labour MP calls on Alex Salmond to apologise to Dundee". The Courier.
- ^ "Scottish Labour hopefuls: From the long serving to the rising stars of new New Labour". The Herald. 16 February 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
External links
- Scottish Parliament profiles of MSPs: Margaret Curran
- Margaret Curran MSP Scottish Labour website
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
- Voting record at Public Whip
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou