Allan Wilson (Scottish politician)
Encyclopedia
Allan Wilson is a former Labour
Member of the Scottish Parliament
. He represented Cunninghame North
, a seat which he held between the inaugural Scottish Parliament general election in 1999 until 2007.
He was educated at Spier's school near Beith
, Ayrshire
, and worked as a trades union official with NUPE
and UNISON
until his election to the Scottish Parliament
. He was a member of the Executive of the Scottish
Labour Party from 1992 until 1999 and election agent for Brian Wilson.
He was Labour lead on the Scottish Parliament
's Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee and also a member of the European Committee prior to becoming Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport in October 2000 and then Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development in November 2001 in the Scottish Executive
. In October 2004 he was appointed Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning
.
He is married, has two sons, and lives in Kilbirnie
. He was a member of the Scottish Parliamentary football team, current holders of the four nations' Parliamentary Trophy (Parliamentary Shield) and Chairman of Kilbirnie
Community Football Club comprising 15 teams and for over thirty years a former player, coach and manager of various Ayrshire
juvenile, amateur and junior teams in the Scottish Junior Football Association
, Scottish Amateur Football Association
and the Scottish Football Association
.
In the 2007 Scottish Parliament Election he lost his seat Cunninghame North
to the Scottish National Party
's Kenny Gibson, by only 48 votes, making it the most marginal seat in the country. Wilson originally wished to challenge the result but the Scottish Labour Party, following advice from their solicitors, did not proceed with an election petition on his behalf.
In the 2011 election, Wilson again stood against Gibson for the Cunninghame North seat, but this time lost more emphatically, with Gibson's majority increasing from 48 to 6,117.
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
. He represented Cunninghame North
Cunninghame North (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Cunninghame North is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. It elects one MSP by the first past the post method of election once every four years...
, a seat which he held between the inaugural Scottish Parliament general election in 1999 until 2007.
He was educated at Spier's school near Beith
Beith
Beith is a small town situated in the Garnock Valley in North Ayrshire, Scotland approximately 20-miles south-west of Glasgow. The town is situated on the crest of a hill and was known originally as the "Hill o' Beith" after its Court Hill.-History:-Name:Beith's name is thought to emanate from...
, Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
, and worked as a trades union official with NUPE
Nupe
The Nupe, traditionally called the Tapa by the neighbouring Yoruba, are an ethnic group located primarily in the Middle Belt and northern Nigeria, and are the dominant group in Niger and an important minority in Kwara State.-History:...
and UNISON
UNISON
UNISON is the largest trade union in the United Kingdom with over 1.3 million members.The union was formed in 1993 when three public sector trade unions, the National and Local Government Officers Association , the National Union of Public Employees and the Confederation of Health Service...
until his election to the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
. He was a member of the Executive of the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Labour Party from 1992 until 1999 and election agent for Brian Wilson.
He was Labour lead on the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
's Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee and also a member of the European Committee prior to becoming Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport in October 2000 and then Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development in November 2001 in the Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
. In October 2004 he was appointed Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning
Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning
The Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning in Scotland is a cabinet position in the devolved Scottish Government. The position was created in 1999, with the advent of devolution and the institution of the Scottish Parliament, taking over some of the roles and functions of the former...
.
He is married, has two sons, and lives in Kilbirnie
Kilbirnie
Kilbirnie is a small town of 7280 inhabitants situated in North Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland...
. He was a member of the Scottish Parliamentary football team, current holders of the four nations' Parliamentary Trophy (Parliamentary Shield) and Chairman of Kilbirnie
Kilbirnie
Kilbirnie is a small town of 7280 inhabitants situated in North Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland...
Community Football Club comprising 15 teams and for over thirty years a former player, coach and manager of various Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
juvenile, amateur and junior teams in the Scottish Junior Football Association
Scottish Junior Football Association
The Scottish Junior Football Association is an affiliated national association of the Scottish Football Association and is the governing body for the Junior grade of football in Scotland. The term "Junior" refers to the level of football played...
, Scottish Amateur Football Association
Scottish Amateur Football Association
The Scottish Amateur Football Association is the organising body for amateur football across Scotland. An affiliate of the Scottish Football Association, the SAFA has in turn 50 regional associations affiliated to it and some 67 different league competitions organised by these associations...
and the Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
.
In the 2007 Scottish Parliament Election he lost his seat Cunninghame North
Cunninghame North (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Cunninghame North is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. It elects one MSP by the first past the post method of election once every four years...
to the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
's Kenny Gibson, by only 48 votes, making it the most marginal seat in the country. Wilson originally wished to challenge the result but the Scottish Labour Party, following advice from their solicitors, did not proceed with an election petition on his behalf.
In the 2011 election, Wilson again stood against Gibson for the Cunninghame North seat, but this time lost more emphatically, with Gibson's majority increasing from 48 to 6,117.