Michael McMahon (Scottish politician)

Michael McMahon
MSP
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Uddingston and Bellshill
Hamilton North and Bellshill (1999-2011)
Incumbent
Assumed office
6 May 1999
Preceded by Constituency Created
Majority 714
Personal details
Born 18 September 1961
Political party Scottish Labour Party

Michael McMahon (born 18 September 1961) is a Scottish Labour politician and is the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Uddingston and Bellshill since 2011. He was previously the member for the former seat of Hamilton North and Bellshill. McMahon has been the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Local Government for Labour in the Scottish Parliament since 2007. He is noted for attempting to abolish the not proven verdict.[1]

Family

Married to Margaret, with three children.

His daughter Siobhan McMahon was controversially employed as his parliamentary researcher and became an MSP in 2011.[2]

McMahon also employed his wife Margaret, as his parliamentary assistant. [3]

Career

He went to Our Lady's High School, Motherwell (1973-1977). Worked as a welder at Terex Equipment Ltd, Motherwell (1977-1992). McMahon has been a trade union activist since school, and was Chair of the GMB and the STUC Youth Committees. He was also the branch Equality Officer in the GMB and a member of the trade union's Racial Advisory Committee.

In 1992, went to Glasgow Caledonian University and graduated in 1996 with a BA (Hons) in Social Sciences (Politics and Sociology).

Then worked as a political researcher (1996-1999), before being elected to parliament. He is an adviser to the Irish Diaspora in Scotland Association

McMahon is a supporter of faith schools and has publicly defended them, claiming there is no evidence they contribute to sectarianism.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Plea for not proven abolition". BBC News. 28 March 2007. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  2. ↑ http://www.hamiltonadvertiser.co.uk/news/local-news/hamilton-news/2011/05/06/double-for-mcmahon-s-as-siobhan-joins-her-dad-at-holyrood-51525-28646726/
  3. ↑ Black, Andrew (27 November 2008). "Which MSPs are employing family?". BBC News. Retrieved 14 May 2011. Over in the Labour camp, it is a family affair for Hamilton North and Bellshill MSP Michael McMahon, who pays wife Margaret and daughter Siobhan as parliamentary assistant and researcher respectively.
  4. ↑ http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/politics/political-news/catholic-church-fury-as-charity-boss-blames-faith-schools-for-sectarianism.1328411182?_=e7ca85eebdf1d8c4c36bc09851649db8698d2bbc

External links

Scottish Parliament
Preceded by
New constituency		 Member of the Scottish Parliament for Uddingston and Bellshill
2011–present 		Incumbent
New constituency Member of the Scottish Parliament for Hamilton North and Bellshill
1999–2011 		Constituency abolished