Brian Wilson (politician)
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The Rt. Hon. Brian Wilson (born 13 December 1948 in Dunoon) is a politician in the United Kingdom. He was Labour Party member of Parliament from 1987 until 2005, and served as a junior minister from 1997 to 2003 (Scottish Office 1997 - 1998, DTI 1998 - 1999, Scottish Office 1999 - 2001, Foreign Office 2001 and Energy Minister, DTI 2001 - 2003).
Educated at the University of Dundee and University College, Cardiff, Brian Wilson was the founding editor and former publisher of the West Highland Free Press. In 1977-78 he was also involved in Seven Days, a political weekly in Scotland which folded after a few months. He is also a former contributor to The Guardian and the Herald. He was a member of the Scottish National Party for a short time in his teens, but turned against them, and later joined the Labour Party. In 1979 he was a leading figure in the "Labour Vote No Campaign", which called for a 'no' vote in the Scottish referendum on whether to have a Scottish Assembly.
Wilson was elected to serve Cunninghame North constituency in 1987, winning the seat from the Conservative Party, and successfully held the seat in the 1992, 1997 and 2001 general elections. In opposition, Wilson was spokesperson on election planning (1996 - 1997), trade and industry (1994 - 1995), transport (1992 - 1994 and 1995 - 1996) and on Scottish affairs (1988 - 1992). In August 2004 he announced his intention to step down from politics at the 2005 General Election, when the Cunninghame North constituency was replaced by the new North Ayrshire & Arran seat, created in the boundary changes to Scottish constituencies in the Westminster Parliament.
He is married with three children. One of his children has Down's Syndrome, but he has not mentioned this much, saying that he does not want to become a professional Down's Syndrome parent.
External links
- Guardian Politics Ask Aristotle - Brian Wilson (http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-5593,00.html)
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Brian Wilson MP (http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/?pid=10644)
- Labour Party (http://www.labour.org.uk/)
- The United Kingdom Parliament (http://www.parliament.uk/)
- Scotland Office (http://www.scottishsecretary.gov.uk/)
- Foreign & Commonwealth Office (http://www.fco.gov.uk)
- Department of Trade & Industry (http://www.dti.gov.uk)sv:Brian Wilson (politiker)