Iain Gray

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Iain Gray (born June 7, 1957, Edinburgh) is a Scottish Labour politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for East Lothian from 2007. Previously he was MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands constituency from 1999 to 2003.

[edit] Early life

Gray was educated at Inverness Royal Academy and George Watson's College before reading physics at the University of Edinburgh. After graduation he worked as a teacher including a stint in Mozambique during that country's Marxist Era, before joining the charity Oxfam.

[edit] Political career

Active first in Local Labour Politics he was noted for his support for the Sandinista Revolutionaries in Nicaragua . Immediately after his election to Holyrood he was made a deputy minister in the first Scottish Executive in 1999 and following Jack McConnell becoming First Minister he was promoted to Minister for Social Justice. After the surprise resignation of Wendy Alexander in 2002, Gray took over her role as Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning.

In the 2003 election he was defeated by the Scottish Conservative leader David McLetchie, who he had beaten in 1999. After leaving Holyrood he has worked as a special advisor to the Scottish Office under Alistair Darling and initially announced he would not be seeking re-election. However he was selected as the Labour candidate for East Lothian for the 2007 elections and subsequently won re-election.

Gray was appointed Labour's shadow spokesman for enterprise, energy and tourism upon his return to Parliament.

[edit] External links

• Iain Gray MSP biography at the Scottish Parliament website
• Scottish Executive biography
• Iain Gray favourite for East Lothian seat The Herald
• Front bench return for Alexander BBC News

Scottish Parliament
Preceded by Constituency Created	Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Pentlands 1999–2003	Succeeded by David McLetchie
Preceded by John Home Robertson	Member of the Scottish Parliament for East Lothian 2007 – present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Wendy Alexander	Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning 2002–2003	Succeeded by Jim Wallace
Preceded by Jackie Baillie	Minister for Social Justice 2001-2002	Succeeded by Margaret Curran
Preceded by Angus MacKay	Deputy Minister for Justice 2000–2001	Succeeded by Richard Simpson
Preceded by Office Created	Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care 1999–2000	Succeeded by Malcolm Chisholm

Iain Gray
v • d • e      Members of the Scottish Parliament in the South of Scotland region Elected in the 2007 election Labour (5 seats), SNP (5 seats), Conservative (4 seats), Lib Dems (2 seats) Constituency MSPs John Scott (Con, Ayr) • Cathy Jamieson (Lab, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) • Karen Gillon (Lab, Clydesdale) • Irene Oldfather (Lab, Cunninghame South) • Elaine Murray (Lab, Dumfries) • Iain Gray (Lab, East Lothian) • Alex Fergusson (Presiding Officer, Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) • John Lamont (Con, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) • Jeremy Purvis (Lib Dem, Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) Additional Members Derek Brownlee (Con) • Aileen Campbell (SNP) • Christine Grahame (SNP) • Jim Hume (Lib Dem) • Adam Ingram (SNP) • Alasdair Morgan (SNP) • Mike Russell (SNP) v • d • e Scottish Labour MSPs Elected in the 2007 election Wendy Alexander · Jackie Baillie · Claire Baker · Richard Baker · Sarah Boyack · Rhona Brankin · Bill Butler · Malcolm Chisholm · Cathie Craigie · Margaret Curran · Helen Eadie · Patricia Ferguson · George Foulkes · Karen Gillon · Marlyn Glen · Trish Godman · Charlie Gordon · Rhoda Grant · Iain Gray · Hugh Henry · Cathy Jamieson · James Kelly · Andy Kerr · Johann Lamont · Marilyn Livingstone · Lewis Macdonald · Ken Macintosh · Paul Martin · Frank McAveety · Tom McCabe · Jack McConnell · Michael McMahon · Duncan McNeil · Pauline McNeill · Des McNulty · Mary Mulligan · Elaine Murray · Irene Oldfather · John Park · Peter Peacock · Cathy Peattie · Richard Simpson · Elaine Smith · David Stewart · Karen Whitefield · David Whitton