Maureen Watt
Encyclopedia
Maureen Watt is a Scottish National Party
(SNP) Member of the Scottish Parliament
for North East Scotland since 2006.
Born in Aberdeen
to a farming family, she was a secondary school teacher in Social Studies in England
and moved back to Scotland to work in the oil sector.
She was sworn in as MSP
on 19 April 2006 to replace Richard Lochhead
who had resigned his seat to contest the Moray by-election
. The next person on the SNP list from the 2003 election
had been Alasdair Allan
but he refused his place in Parliament as he had secured the SNP nomination for the Western Isles for the 2007 election
. The next person on the list was Maureen Watt, who took up the place. She became the first MSP to swear their oath of allegiance in Doric
.
Watt made her maiden speech on 20 April 2006 on the subject of Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation. With a gap of only 17 hours 25 minutes since taking the Parliamentary oath she took over the record for the shortest wait from John Scott
.
She had previously been a Councillor on Grampian Regional Council
and had served on the Visiting Committee of Aberdeen Prison.
After the SNP's victory at the 2007 Scottish Parliament Election
, Watt was appointed as the Minister for Schools and Skills
. She left office on 10 February 2009.
In May 2011, Watt was elected as SNP MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine on a 15.77% swing from the Liberal Democrats.
. She is married with two children.
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
(SNP) 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:...
for North East Scotland since 2006.
Born in Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
to a farming family, she was a secondary school teacher in Social Studies in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and moved back to Scotland to work in the oil sector.
She was sworn in as MSP
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:...
on 19 April 2006 to replace Richard Lochhead
Richard Lochhead
Richard Neilson Lochhead is the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Moray.-Background and early career:...
who had resigned his seat to contest the Moray by-election
Moray by-election, 2006
A by-election in the Moray constituency of the Scottish Parliament was held on 27 April 2006 following the death of the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament Margaret Ewing on 21 March 2006, from breast cancer...
. The next person on the SNP list from the 2003 election
Scottish Parliament election, 2003
The Scottish Parliament election, 2003, was the second general election of the Scottish Parliament. It was held on 1 May 2003 and it brought no change in terms of control of the Scottish Executive...
had been Alasdair Allan
Alasdair Allan
Dr Alasdair Allan is the Scottish Government's Minister for Learning and Skills and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Na h-Eileanan an Iar.-Career:...
but he refused his place in Parliament as he had secured the SNP nomination for the Western Isles for the 2007 election
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
. The next person on the list was Maureen Watt, who took up the place. She became the first MSP to swear their oath of allegiance in Doric
Doric dialect (Scotland)
Doric, the popular name for Mid Northern Scots or Northeast Scots, refers to the dialects of Scots spoken in the northeast of Scotland.-Nomenclature:...
.
Watt made her maiden speech on 20 April 2006 on the subject of Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation. With a gap of only 17 hours 25 minutes since taking the Parliamentary oath she took over the record for the shortest wait from John Scott
John Scott (Scottish politician)
John Scott is a Scottish farmer and politician, and is a Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament for Ayr.Born in Girvan, he has been MSP for Ayr since winning it in a by-election in 2000. He was returned in the 2003 parliamentary election and again, with an increased majority, in the 2007...
.
She had previously been a Councillor on Grampian Regional Council
Grampian
Grampian was a local government region of Scotland from 1975 to 1996. It is now divided into the unitary council areas of:*Moray*Aberdeenshire*City of AberdeenThe region had five districts:*Aberdeen*Banff and Buchan...
and had served on the Visiting Committee of Aberdeen Prison.
After the SNP's victory at the 2007 Scottish Parliament Election
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
, Watt was appointed as the Minister for Schools and Skills
Minister for Schools and Skills
The Minister for Learning and Skills is a Junior ministerial post in the Education Department of the Scottish Government. As a result, the Minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet...
. She left office on 10 February 2009.
In May 2011, Watt was elected as SNP MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine on a 15.77% swing from the Liberal Democrats.
Family
Watt is the daughter of former SNP MP (1974–1979) Hamish WattHamish Watt
Hamish Watt is a Scottish politician, farmer and writer. The son of William Watt and Caroline Allan, he was educated at Keith Grammar School and at the University of St Andrews, and was involved in dairy and sheep farming and other business interests.He contested Caithness and Sutherland as the...
. She is married with two children.
External links
- http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/membersPages/maureen_watt/index.htm
- http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/aspect/aspect2003/snp/a03snpabs.htm
- http://www.aboutaberdeen.com/doric.php
- http://heritage.scotsman.com/scotslanguage/Someone-to-spik-up-for.2769634.jp
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4920268.stm