David Cairns (politician)
Encyclopedia
John David Cairns was a Scottish
Labour Party
politician, who was a Member of Parliament
(MP) from 2001
until his death. He represented the constituency of Inverclyde
. He was the Minister of State
at the Scotland Office
until he resigned on 16 September 2008. He died from complications of acute pancreatitis
on 9 May 2011, aged 44.
. He attended Notre Dame High School in the town, before training for the Roman Catholic priesthood at the Pontifical Gregorian University
in Rome. He continued his studies at the Franciscan
International Centre in Canterbury
.
From 1991 he served as a priest in Scotland and in London before politics drew him to leave the priesthood in 1994 to become a director of the Christian Socialist Movement
. In 1997 he became a research assistant to then newly-elected Labour MP, Siobhain McDonagh
until he himself became an MP in 2001. In 1998 he was elected as a councillor in the London Borough of Merton
where he served until 2002.
which prevented present or former Roman Catholic priests from being elected to Parliament. To rectify this, Siobhain McDonagh
, MP, introduced the House of Commons Disqualification (Amendment) Bill in Parliament on 16 June 1999, but the Bill failed. The government subsequently introduced the House of Commons (Removal of Clergy Disqualification) Bill
, which removed almost all restrictions on clergy of whatever denomination from sitting in the House of Commons. The only exception is Church of England
(Anglican) bishops, due to their reserved status as members of the House of Lords
. The bill passed on 11 May 2001.
Cairns had already been selected as the Labour candidate in his home town following the retirement of Norman Godman
. He was elected as the Labour MP for Greenock and Inverclyde
at the 2001 General Election
with a majority of 9,890, becoming the first person born in Greenock to represent it in Parliament. He made his maiden speech
on 4 July 2001.
Cairns was appointed the Parliamentary Private Secretary
to the Minister of State
at the Department for Work and Pensions
Malcolm Wicks
in 2003, and following the 2005 General Election
, at which, due to the redrawing of boundaries his constituency was abolished and replaced with a larger Inverclyde
constituency, he became a member of the Labour government as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland
. He then had the Northern Ireland Office
added to his responsibilities and in 2007 he became the Minister of State at the Scotland Office. Cairns was Chair of Labour Friends of Israel
, and while he gave up the position when becoming a junior minister, he remained a committed member of the group.
On 16 September 2008, Cairns resigned from the government during arguments in the Labour party over Gordon Brown
's leadership, saying that the time had come to "allow a leadership debate to run its course". The Inverclyde MP was the first minister to resign after rebel MPs began calling for a leadership contest. In the 2010 General Election, Cairns was returned as Member of Parliament for his constituency of Inverclyde with a majority of 14,416, which was an increase on his previous election.
homosexual. He was taken to hospital in March 2011, suffering from acute pancreatitis, and died on 9 May. He is survived by his partner, Dermot Kehoe.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
Labour Party
Scottish Labour Party
The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....
politician, who was a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) from 2001
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
until his death. He represented the constituency of Inverclyde
Inverclyde (UK Parliament constituency)
Inverclyde is a parliamentary constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It replaced Greenock and Inverclyde and the Port Glasgow and Kilmacolm areas from West Renfrewshire for the 2005 general election....
. He was the Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
at the Scotland Office
Scotland Office
The Scotland Office is a United Kingdom government department headed by the Secretary of State for Scotland and responsible for Scottish affairs...
until he resigned on 16 September 2008. He died from complications of acute pancreatitis
Acute pancreatitis
Acute pancreatitis or acute pancreatic necrosis is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas. It can have severe complications and high mortality despite treatment...
on 9 May 2011, aged 44.
Early life
Cairns was born and raised in GreenockGreenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
. He attended Notre Dame High School in the town, before training for the Roman Catholic priesthood at the Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
in Rome. He continued his studies at the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
International Centre in Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
.
From 1991 he served as a priest in Scotland and in London before politics drew him to leave the priesthood in 1994 to become a director of the Christian Socialist Movement
Christian Socialist Movement
The Christian Socialist Movement, or CSM, is a socialist society affiliated to the British Labour Party.The CSM was an amalgamation of the Society of Socialist Clergy and Ministers and the Socialist Christian League. R. H. Tawney made one of his last public appearances at the Movement's inaugural...
. In 1997 he became a research assistant to then newly-elected Labour MP, Siobhain McDonagh
Siobhain McDonagh
Siobhain Ann McDonagh is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Mitcham and Morden since 1997. She previously served as an Assistant Whip in the Labour Government, but was fired following comments regarding a leadership contest to replace PM Gordon Brown.She...
until he himself became an MP in 2001. In 1998 he was elected as a councillor in the London Borough of Merton
London Borough of Merton
The London Borough of Merton is a borough in southwest London, England.The borough was formed under the London Government Act in 1965 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon and the Merton and Morden Urban District, all formerly within Surrey...
where he served until 2002.
Parliamentary career
Cairns had ambitions to enter House of Commons but was barred due to the House of Commons (Clergy Disqualification) Act 1801 and the Catholic Relief Act 1829Catholic Relief Act 1829
The Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 24 March 1829, and received Royal Assent on 13 April. It was the culmination of the process of Catholic Emancipation throughout the nation...
which prevented present or former Roman Catholic priests from being elected to Parliament. To rectify this, Siobhain McDonagh
Siobhain McDonagh
Siobhain Ann McDonagh is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Mitcham and Morden since 1997. She previously served as an Assistant Whip in the Labour Government, but was fired following comments regarding a leadership contest to replace PM Gordon Brown.She...
, MP, introduced the House of Commons Disqualification (Amendment) Bill in Parliament on 16 June 1999, but the Bill failed. The government subsequently introduced the House of Commons (Removal of Clergy Disqualification) Bill
House of Commons (Removal of Clergy Disqualification) Act 2001
The House of Commons Act 2001 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The purpose of the Act was to remove the disqualifications for clergy in standing for election as Members of Parliament and sitting in the House of Commons. The Act also allowed clergy to sit in other elected bodies...
, which removed almost all restrictions on clergy of whatever denomination from sitting in the House of Commons. The only exception is Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
(Anglican) bishops, due to their reserved status as members of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. The bill passed on 11 May 2001.
Cairns had already been selected as the Labour candidate in his home town following the retirement of Norman Godman
Norman Godman
Norman Anthony Godman is a Scottish Labour Party politician. He served as Member of Parliament for Greenock and Port Glasgow from 1983 to 1997, and for Greenock and Inverclyde from 1997 to 2001.-Background:...
. He was elected as the Labour MP for Greenock and Inverclyde
Greenock and Inverclyde (UK Parliament constituency)
Greenock and Inverclyde was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1997 until 2005, when was replaced by the Inverclyde constituency...
at the 2001 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
with a majority of 9,890, becoming the first person born in Greenock to represent it in Parliament. He made his maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
on 4 July 2001.
Cairns was appointed the Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to the Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
at the Department for Work and Pensions
Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and...
Malcolm Wicks
Malcolm Wicks
Malcolm Hunt Wicks is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Croydon North since 1997. He was MP for Croydon North West from 1992 to 1997.-Early life and education:...
in 2003, and following the 2005 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
, at which, due to the redrawing of boundaries his constituency was abolished and replaced with a larger Inverclyde
Inverclyde (UK Parliament constituency)
Inverclyde is a parliamentary constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It replaced Greenock and Inverclyde and the Port Glasgow and Kilmacolm areas from West Renfrewshire for the 2005 general election....
constituency, he became a member of the Labour government as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland
Under-Secretary of State for Scotland
The Under-Secretary of State for Scotland is a junior ministerial post in the United Kingdom government, supporting the Secretary of State for Scotland...
. He then had the Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Office
The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and is based in Northern Ireland at Stormont House.-Role:...
added to his responsibilities and in 2007 he became the Minister of State at the Scotland Office. Cairns was Chair of Labour Friends of Israel
Labour Friends of Israel
Labour Friends of Israel is a lobby group promoting support within the British Labour Party for a strong bilateral relationship between Britain and Israel. It also seeks to strengthen ties between the British and the Israeli Labour party...
, and while he gave up the position when becoming a junior minister, he remained a committed member of the group.
On 16 September 2008, Cairns resigned from the government during arguments in the Labour party over Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
's leadership, saying that the time had come to "allow a leadership debate to run its course". The Inverclyde MP was the first minister to resign after rebel MPs began calling for a leadership contest. In the 2010 General Election, Cairns was returned as Member of Parliament for his constituency of Inverclyde with a majority of 14,416, which was an increase on his previous election.
Personal life and death
Cairns was openlyComing out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
homosexual. He was taken to hospital in March 2011, suffering from acute pancreatitis, and died on 9 May. He is survived by his partner, Dermot Kehoe.
External links
- David Cairns MP official website
- Profile: David Cairns, David Thompson, BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, 16 September 2008 - David Cairns on Using Social Media in Election 2010