| The Right Honourable The Lord Moonie |
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|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Kirkcaldy |
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| In office 11 June 1987 – 5 May 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Harry Gourlay |
| Succeeded by | Constituency Abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 February 1947 Dundee |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour Co-operative |
| Spouse(s) | Shelia Ann Burt |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh, University of St Andrews |
Lewis George Moonie, Baron Moonie (born 25 February 1947 in Dundee) is a Labour Co-operative politician in the United Kingdom. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kirkcaldy from 1987 to 2005.
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He attended the Grove Academy in Dundee. He studied Medicine at the Bute Medical School, University of St Andrews gaining his MB ChB in 1970. From the University of Edinburgh he gained an MSc in Community Medicine in 1981. He also became DPM in 1975, MRCPsych in 1979 and MFCM in 1984. From 1982-6, he was a councillor on Fife Regional Council.
From 1973-5 he was a trainee registrar in Psychiatry. From 1975-80 he was a research clinical pharmacologist and a medical advisor in the pharmaceutical industry in Switzerland, the Netherlands and Edinburgh. From 1980-4, he was a trainee in Community Medicine for the Fife Health Board, becoming a Community Medicine Specialist from 1984-7.
He was elected at the 1987 general election as Member of Parliament (MP) for Kirkcaldy, and served until he retired from the House of Commons at the 2005 general election. He served as a junior minister at the Ministry of Defence.
On 13 May 2005 it was announced that he would be created a life peer, and on 22 June 2005 the peerage was gazetted as Baron Moonie, of Bennochy in Fife.
In late-January 2009 the Sunday Times involved Lord Moonie in a classic 'sting operation'. Along with 3 other Labour peers, Lord Moonie was approached by a reporter. Of the 4, Lord Moonie was the only one subsequently cleared by the House of Lords Sub-committee on Lords' Interests.
In the newspaper sting, "Moonie said he would contact Healey and offered to identify people who could put down an amendment." He quoted an annual fee for his assistance of £30,000. Lord Moonie is quoted as saying “I did not agree to amend the legislation. I agreed to seek to help to find a way of trying to amend the legislation.”[1]
The House of Lords Sub-committee on Lords' Interests was asked to report on the matter. It found that "on the standard of proof that we have set, we do not find that Lord Moonie expressed a clear willingness to breach the Code by promoting amendments on behalf of lobbyists in return for payment." [2]
The Lords' Privileges Committee considered the sub-committee's report. It published its findings on 14th May 2009. It agreed that Lord Moonie had not breached the code.[3]
He married Sheila Ann Burt on December 28, 1971. They have two sons.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Harry Gourlay |
Member of Parliament for Kirkcaldy 1987 – 2005 |
Constituency abolished |