Rosemary McKenna
| Rosemary McKenna CBE | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of Parliament for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East Cumbernauld and Kilsyth (1997-2005) | |
| In office 1 May 1997 – 6 May 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Norman Hogg |
| Succeeded by | Gregg McClymont |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 May 1941 Renfrewshire, Scotland |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse(s) | James McKenna |
| Children | 3 sons and 1 daughter |
| Residence | Cumbernauld |
Rosemary McKenna CBE (born 8 May 1941) is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East until 2010.[1]
Early life
Born to the Irish Cornelius Harvey and a Scottish mother,[1] Susan, she went to St Augustine's RC Secondary School on Liddesdale Road in Milton, East Dunbartonshire. From 1958-65, she worked as a secretary. She joined the Labour Party in 1966 when she moved to Cumbernauld. She studied at the Roman Catholic Notre Dame College of Education, receiving a Diploma in Primary Education in 1974. She was a primary school teacher from 1974-94 before becoming a local councillor and eventual Provost of the former Cumbernauld and Kilsyth District Council.
Parliamentary career
McKenna was first elected in 1997 to represent the former Cumbernauld and Kilsyth seat, which she retained at the 2001 election.
The seat was abolished for the 2005 general election and she contested the new Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East constituency, winning with a 1.1% swing against her to the Scottish National Party. She retired at the 2010 general election.
She was responsible for chairing the Labour Party's vetting procedure for candidates for the first election for the Scottish Parliament. This process saw many of the more left-oriented candidates rejected, including Dennis Canavan, Ian Davidson, Michael Connarty, all of whom were sitting Members of Parliament at the time, as well as Tommy Shephard, a former General Secretary of the Labour Party in Scotland.
Personal life
She married James McKenna. They have three sons and one daughter.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Daily Hansard". Parliament.uk website. 15 November 2006.
External links
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Norman Hogg |
Member of Parliament for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth 1997–2005 |
Succeeded by (constituency abolished) |
| Preceded by (new constituency) |
Member of Parliament for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East 2005–2010 |
Succeeded by Gregg McClymont |