Global InformationJack McConnell information
The Right Honourable The Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale PC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Official portrait, 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First Minister of Scotland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 27 November 2001 – 16 May 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monarch | Elizabeth II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Jim Wallace Nicol Stephen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Henry McLeish[a] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Alex Salmond | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 22 November 2001 – 15 August 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Cathy Jamieson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK party leader | Tony Blair Gordon Brown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Henry McLeish | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Wendy Alexander | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Jack Wilson McConnell 30 June 1960 Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Scottish Labour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Bridget McLuckie (m. 1990) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Stirling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Profession | Teacher (Mathematics) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cabinet | 1st 2nd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Signature |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale, PC (born 30 June 1960) 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.
Born in Irvine, Ayrshire, McConnell studied at the University of Stirling and worked as a mathematics teacher at Lornshill Academy. His political career began when he was elected to the Stirling District Council, while he was still teaching. He served as a member of the Scottish Constitutional Convention, having campaigned in-favour for a Scottish Parliament in the 1997 devolution referendum. Elected to serve as an MSP for the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency in the 1999 Scottish Parliament election, McConnell was appointed Minister for Finance under the Donald Dewar government. After Dewar's death in 2000, he ran unsuccessfully for the leadership of the Labour Party in Scotland, having been defeated by Henry McLeish. McLeish appointed McConnell as Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs.
In 2001, McLeish resigned in the aftermath of the Officegate scandal and McConnell was elected unopposed as the Scottish Labour leader. He was appointed First Minister on 22 November 2001, becoming the youngest office holder. As first minister, he implemented a ban on smoking in public places, signed a Co-operation Agreement with Malawi, and successfully bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games to be hosted in Glasgow. In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, the Labour Party in Scotland became the second largest party, with the SNP having one seat more. This therefore lead to McConnell losing office, becoming the first First Minister to have been defeated from office.
After losing office as first minister, McConnell sat as the Leader of the Opposition in Holyrood, until his resignation as leader. He sat as a backbencher and stood down as an MSP in the 2011 election. In 2010, McConnell became a member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom. He made a commitment to continuing his work to tackle poverty in Africa and to develop the relationship between Scotland and Malawi.[1]
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Minister for Finance
Minister for Education
First Minister of Scotland First Ministry
Second Ministry
Leader of the Opposition House of Lords
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Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ "Jack McConnell to quit as an MSP". BBC News. 26 August 2010. Archived from the original on 28 August 2010.