David Hamilton (politician)

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David Hamilton MP
David Hamilton (politician)
Member of Parliament
for Midlothian
Incumbent
Assumed office 
7 June 2001
Preceded by Eric Clarke
Born 24 October 1950 (1950-10-24) (age 57)
Dalkeith, Midlothian
Nationality Scottish
Political party Labour

David Hamilton (born October 24, 1950) is the Scottish Labour Party MP for Midlothian.

David Hamilton was born in Dalkeith, Midlothian, and was educated at the local Dalkeith High School. In 1965, on leaving school, he worked as a miner with the National Coal Board for nineteen years, and remained a member of the National Union of Mineworkers until 1988. He was jailed for two months during the 1980s miners' strike. This was for the alleged assault on a Dalkeith man and, although bail was denied many times, he was acquitted at trial. Hamilton later claimed he had been "fitted up" by the police and security services. He worked as an employment training supervisor with Midlothian District Council for two years from 1987, and was appointed as a placement officer for the Craigmillar Festival Society in 1989, becoming the chief executive of Craigmillar Opportunities 1992-2000.

He was elected as a Midlothian Councillor in 1995, serving for six years. He was elected to the House of Commons at the 2001 General Election for Midlothian following the retirement of Eric Clarke. Hamilton held the seat with a majority of 9,014 and has remained the MP there since. He made his maiden speech on July 12, 2001, in which he remembered one of his predecessors as the Midlothian MP and former Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone.[1]

He is a member of the left-wing Socialist Campaign Group, and in 2003 became a member of both the Scottish affairs and the work and pensions select committees until the 2005 General Election, since when he has been a member of the defence and European legislation committees.

He has been married to Jean Trench Macrae since 1969 and they have two daughters. He takes a keen interest in biotechnology.

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