Ian Davidson (politician)

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Ian Graham Davidson (born 8 September 1950, Jedburgh) is a Scottish Labour Party politician, and Labour Co-operative Member of Parliament for Glasgow South West. Davidson previously worked as a Community Service Manager and for a Labour Member of the European Parliament.

He has been an MP since 1992, originally for the seat of Glasgow Govan, and after major boundary changes for Glasgow Pollok from 1997-2005. After major boundary changes across Scotland, Davidson stood in the 2005 general election for the new constituency of Glasgow South West, where he won the second biggest swing to Labour in Scotland. He is a member of the Public Accounts Select Committee and has lobbied to support the Scottish shipbuilding industry. He is also secretary of the influential Trade Union Group of Labour MPs.

Like his colleague and friend, Dennis Canavan, he was rejected as a candidate for the Scottish Parliament by the Labour Party, and has felt free to criticise the government since. In 2002 he criticised Prince Michael of Kent for 'squatting' in Kensington Palace and has more recently criticised the Prince of Wales over his personal finances. He was the chair of Labour Against the Euro before it ceased campaigning following the decision of Gordon Brown that the five economic tests for UK to join the euro had not been met in 2003.

He is now chair of the Centre for a Social Europe, a pro-EU but mildly sceptic left-of-centre think tank. He has been a member of the Scotland Office Select Committee since the 2005 General Election.

[edit] External links

• ePolitix - Ian Davidson official site
• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Ian Davidson MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Ian Davidson MP

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Jim Sillars	Member of Parliament for Glasgow Govan 1992–1997	Succeeded by Mohammad Sarwar
Preceded by Jimmy Dunnachie	Member of Parliament for Glasgow Pollok 1997–2005	Succeeded by constituency abolished
Preceded by new constituency	Member of Parliament for Glasgow South West 2005 – present	Incumbent