Michael Matheson
Encyclopedia
Michael Matheson is the Public Health Minister in the Scottish Government. He has been an SNP
Member of the Scottish Parliament
since 1999, first representing Central Scotland
and, since 2007, the Falkirk West
constituency.
He was the Shadow Deputy Minister for Justice from May 1999 until September 2004. From September 2004 until September 2006 he was Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport. Matheson served on the Parliament's Justice 1 Committee from January 2000 until October 2004. During the 2000 SNP deputy leadership election he was the campaign manager for Roseanna Cunningham
.
Matheson first stood for the SNP in the 1997 general election
for the Hamilton North and Bellshill
seat. In 1999
and 2003
he contested the Falkirk West
seat in the Scottish Parliament, which was won both times by independent Dennis Canavan
, who had been rejected by the Labour Party. Matheson won the constituency in the 2007 election
, after Canavan stepped down. Canavan has endorsed Matheson for re-election in 2011
. Matheson is also ranked second on the SNP's regional list for Central Scotland.
Matheson was the Deputy Convener of the European and External Relations Committee, a member of the End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill Committee and a member of the Health and Sport Committee.
Before becoming a Minister Michael was actively involved in a number of Cross-Party Groups. Matheson is Co-Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Malawi, Deputy Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Sport, a member of the Cross-Party Group on Alzheimer's Disease, a member of the Cross-Party Group on International Development, a member of the Cross-Party Group on Russia and a member of the Cross-Party Group on Taiwan.
Matheson is a registered Occupational Therapist who trained at Queen Margaret University College. He is also an Honorary Vice President of English-Speaking Union Scotland
.
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
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:...
since 1999, first representing Central Scotland
Central Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
Central Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Ten of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
and, since 2007, the Falkirk West
Falkirk West (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Falkirk West is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
constituency.
He was the Shadow Deputy Minister for Justice from May 1999 until September 2004. From September 2004 until September 2006 he was Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport. Matheson served on the Parliament's Justice 1 Committee from January 2000 until October 2004. During the 2000 SNP deputy leadership election he was the campaign manager for Roseanna Cunningham
Roseanna Cunningham
Roseanna Cunningham is the Scottish Government's Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, having previously represented Perth.-Early life:Raised in Australia, she returned to Scotland and...
.
Matheson first stood for the SNP in the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
for the Hamilton North and Bellshill
Hamilton North and Bellshill (UK Parliament constituency)
Hamilton North and Bellshill was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2005...
seat. In 1999
Scottish Parliament election, 1999
The Scottish Parliament election, 1999 was the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, with voting taking place on 6 May 1999 to elect 129 members...
and 2003
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...
he contested the Falkirk West
Falkirk West (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Falkirk West is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
seat in the Scottish Parliament, which was won both times by independent Dennis Canavan
Dennis Canavan
Dennis Andrew Canavan is a Scottish politician, and was an Independent Member of the Scottish Parliament for Falkirk West.-Early life:He was born in Cowdenbeath....
, who had been rejected by the Labour Party. Matheson won the constituency in 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...
, after Canavan stepped down. Canavan has endorsed Matheson for re-election in 2011
Scottish Parliament election, 2011
The 2011 Scottish Parliament general election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament.The election delivered the first majority government since the opening of Holyrood, a remarkable feat as the mixed member proportional representation system is used to...
. Matheson is also ranked second on the SNP's regional list for Central Scotland.
Matheson was the Deputy Convener of the European and External Relations Committee, a member of the End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill Committee and a member of the Health and Sport Committee.
Before becoming a Minister Michael was actively involved in a number of Cross-Party Groups. Matheson is Co-Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Malawi, Deputy Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Sport, a member of the Cross-Party Group on Alzheimer's Disease, a member of the Cross-Party Group on International Development, a member of the Cross-Party Group on Russia and a member of the Cross-Party Group on Taiwan.
Matheson is a registered Occupational Therapist who trained at Queen Margaret University College. He is also an Honorary Vice President of English-Speaking Union Scotland
English-Speaking Union Scotland
The English-Speaking Union Scotland is an educational Scottish charity whose purpose, shared with the English-Speaking Union internationally, is to promote international understanding and human achievements through the widening use of the English language throughout the world.ESU Scotland is based...
.