Jack McConnell
| Jack McConnel | |
|---|---|
| Former First Minister of Scotland | |
| In office
22 November 2001 - 16 May 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Wallace |
| Succeeded by | Alex Salmond |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 June 1960 (age†54) |
| Political party | Labour |
Jack McConnell is the Former First Minister of Scotland.
Political Career
Jack McConnell was the youngest and longest serving First Minister of Scotland (2001-2007).
His first move into elected politics came in 1984 when he successfully ran for election to the Stirling District Council. He served in the District Council for a period of 9 years, until 1993.
In 1992 he left teaching and Stirling District Council to become General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party, a position which he held until 1998.
Between 1989 and 1998 he was a member of the Scottish Constitutional Convention, playing an important role in the creation of the Scotland Act, which created a Scottish Parliament for the first time. As General Secretary he managed the Labour Party’s successful YES YES devolution referendum campaign in 1997.
McConnell became an MSP to the Scottish Parliament in 1999, later holding the positions of Finance Minister and Education Minister. Among other achievements, he created the first External Relations and European Affairs strategy on how to influence and implement EU policies and promote Scotland abroad.
In 2001, McConnell was elected as First Minister by the Scottish Parliament in November 2001. In the same year he was awarded the prize for Scottish Politician of the Year.
In 2003 McConnell was re-elected for another term as MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw. The Labour Party formed a coalition with the Liberal Democrats and McConnell was chosen for a second term to become First Minister, which he undertook until 2007, making him the longest serving First Minister of Scotland. He served as President of the European Legislative Regions in 2004.
After leaving office as First Minister of Scotland, McConnell was appointed to the House of Lords in June 2010. McConnell serves as Chair or Patron of a number of charities working to tackle child poverty in both Scotland and the developing world. He is a Member of the UK/Japan 21st Century Group, a Fellow of the UK/Chinese Icebreakers Group, and a guest lecturer at several Universities.
Education
In 1983, McConnell graduated with a BSc in Mathematics and a Diploma in Education from the University of Stirling. After graduating McConnell became a Mathematics schoolteacher.
