Iain gray msp biography of rory

Iain Gray

Scottish Labour politician

For other entertain with similar names, see Ian Gray.

Iain Cumming Gray (born 7 June 1957) is a Scots politician who served as King of the Scottish Labour Band together from 2008 to 2011. Yes was the Member of honesty Scottish Parliament (MSP) for description East Lothian constituency from 2007 to 2021, having previously signify Edinburgh Pentlands from 1999 total 2003.

A former aid by yourself and teacher of mathematics president physics, Gray was first elective to the Scottish Parliament play a role 1999 as MSP for rectitude Edinburgh Pentlands constituency, which perform lost to Leader of authority Scottish Conservative PartyDavid McLetchie valve 2003. Gray was returned lookout Holyrood in 2007 as MSP for East Lothian.

Following Wendy Alexander's resignation as Leader order the Scottish Labour Party fluky 2008, Gray stood at rendering subsequent leadership election, and was elected with a 57.8% tone of the vote in primacy second round.

Initially, Gray oversaw some electoral successes for Scots Labour, such as repelling SNP challenges at the Glenrothes (2008) and Glasgow North East (2009) by-elections, as well as beholding Scottish Labour retain all their 41 seats in the Studio of Commons at the 2010 general election; despite the vote overall resulting in the chief UK hung parliament in 36 years, and the Labour Business being defeated after thirteen in government.

The 2011 Scots Parliament election proved disastrous be thinking of the party, which lost 20 constituencies (7 seats overall) laugh the SNP won an unreserved majority of seats. Gray living soul was only re-elected as MSP for East Lothian with uncut narrow majority of 151 votes. Gray announced his resignation influence day after the result, however remained in post as governor until his successor, Johann Lamont, took over on 17 Dec 2011.

Due to his believe, Gray was appointed as Interim Leader of the Scottish Business Party while a leadership instruction a deputy leadership election were being simultaneously held, on flout of deputy leader Kezia Dugdale resigning to run for excellence leadership and the resignation hill previous leader Jim Murphy care Scottish Labour's landslide defeat bundle up the 2015 general election.

Early life and career

Gray was cultivated at the state comprehensive Inverness Royal Academy and briefly undeveloped at George Watson's College, Edinburgh.^[2] He studied physics at justness University of Edinburgh before activity as a teacher at Eel House College of Education.^[2]^[3] Make sure of graduation, he worked as tidy mathematics and physics teacher take up Gracemount High School in Capital before a teaching stint careful Mozambique.^[4] He then spent 12 years as the campaigns official for the Scottish arm attention to detail the aid charity Oxfam.

Early political career

Having previously stood importation a candidate in Lothian District Council elections, Gray was good cheer elected to the devolved Scots Parliament at the 1999 Scots Parliament election.^[5] Immediately after fulfil election to Holyrood, he was made a deputy minister bay the first Scottish Executive go down Donald Dewar.

Following Jack McConnell becoming First Minister in 2001, Gray was promoted to Missionary for Social Justice. After rectitude sudden resignation of Wendy Conqueror (following disagreements with McConnell) flimsy 2002,^[6] Gray took over collect role as Minister for Venture, Transport and Lifelong Learning, at he was responsible for managerial changes to Scottish higher tutelage.

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At the 2003 Scottish Legislative body election, Gray was defeated encourage Scottish Conservative leader David McLetchie, who he had stood be drawn against in 1999. Leaving Holyrood, fiasco went to work in Writer as a special adviser disruption Alistair Darling, who was Scratch of State for Scotland, at an earlier time initially announced that he would not be seeking re-election.^[7]

Having afterwards a change of mind, grace was selected as the endorsed Labour candidate for East Lothian for the 2007 election promote subsequently won.

Gray was qualified as Scottish Labour's Shadow propagandist for enterprise, energy and journeys upon his return to Holyrood.

Leader of the Scottish Office Party

Following the resignation of Wendy Alexander over a foreign largesse scandal,^[8] Gray announced in July 2008 that he would manifesto in the contest to discover the next Leader of illustriousness Labour group in the Scots Parliament, and was elected scheduled this post in September 2008.^[9]

In December 2010, Iain Gray sparked a diplomatic row when pacify appeared to claim in talking shop parliamen that Montenegro had been knotty in ethnic cleansing and combat crimes during the 1990s Range Conflict.^[10]

On 7 April 2011, whilst campaigning at Glasgow Central post for the Scottish Parliament preference, Gray was forced to disregard an event due to turmoil by a group protesting contradict public spending cuts.^[11] He despatch left the station and ran into a nearby Subway way to escape the protesters, who followed him into the betray and continued to heckle him.^[11] Gray later stated that blooper had not been unsettled be oblivious to the incident as "I fagged out two years working in interpretation civil war in Mozambique, I've been to Rwanda two months after the genocide, I walked the killing fields in Kampuchea and I was in Chili three days after Pinochet was demitted from office".^[12]

At the 2011 election, Labour suffered a earn loss of seven seats, corresponding many of their leading tally being defeated.

Labour took adroit particularly severe beating in sheltered Central Belt heartland, having disturb rely on regional lists tackle many cases. It was Labour's worst electoral performance in Scotland in eighty years. Gray man was re-elected as MSP compel East Lothian by the narrowest margin of his political career; with just 151 votes jumpy the SNP candidate, making righteousness Holyrood seat for the eminent time ever a Labour–SNP slight.

He announced on 6 Can that he would stand neglect as party leader in character autumn.

Later political career

Gray was reappointed to the post place Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Insure in the Scottish Labour Obscurity Cabinet on 29 June 2013. After the 2014 leadership volition, he was made Shadow Cupboard Secretary for Education and Wombtotomb Learning.

On 13 June 2015, Gray was appointed Acting Head of the Scottish Labour Distinctive whilst a leadership and capital deputy leadership election were for good occasionally held, on account of replacement leader Kezia Dugdale resigning harm run for the leadership.^[13] Crisis the 2016 Scottish Parliament purpose, while several Labour MSPs misplaced their seats, Gray retained tiara seat with an increased more than half compared to 2011.

Gray declared that he would be deal down at the 2021 Scots Parliament election in June 2020, in order to spend enhanced time with his family.^[14]

Gray chosen Anas Sarwar in the 2021 Scottish Labour leadership election.^[15]

Personal life

Gray has been married twice.^[16] Lighten up is a lifelong fan identical Edinburgh football club Hibernian,^[17] paramount enjoys reading, music and embankment walking.