Jack McConnell

He is the eldest of four children born to William Wilson McConnell (1937–2018) and Elizabeth McCallum McConnell (née Jack; 1936–2020).

McConnell was brought up on Glenscorrodale Farm near Lamlash on the Isle of Arran, where his father was a sheep farmer and a member of the Arran Farmer’s Society.

He was educated at Lamlash Primary and Arran High School.

Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale, (born 30 June 1960) is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 2001 to 2007.

Jack Wilson McConnell was born on 30 June 1960 in Irvine, Ayrshire.

In the late 1970s, he occupied the principal's office in protest against student homelessness.

He also took part in a siege to occupy the administration offices at the university and slept in sleeping bags in the university’s court room.

McConnell attended the University of Stirling, where he was President of the Students' Association from 1980 to 1982 and National Union of Students Scotland Vice-President from 1982 to 1983.

He met Margo MacDonald and Richard Leonard at university.

He graduated in 1983 with a BSc Dip Ed.

After graduating, McConnell worked as a mathematics teacher at Lornshill Academy in Alloa, Clackmannanshire.

In 1984, McConnell was elected to the Stirling District Council, while still teaching at Lornshill.

He served as Treasurer from 1988 until 1992, and was the Leader of the council from 1990 to 1992.

McConnell initially joined the Scottish National Party (SNP) when he was 16 years old.

After trying to come to terms with Scottish nationalism, he suspended his membership and instead joined the Scottish Labour Party when he was 19.

Between 1989 and 1998 he was a member of the Scottish Constitutional Convention, where he was playing an important role in the creation of the Scotland Act, which created a Scottish Parliament for the first time.

From 1992 to 1998, McConnell served as the General Secretary of the Labour Party in Scotland.

He served as a member of the Scottish Constitutional Convention, having campaigned in-favour for a Scottish Parliament in the 1997 devolution referendum.

His major breakthrough was in his handling of the 1997 General Election success, where Labour attained a large overall majority victory over the Conservatives.

Together the Labour Party in Scotland, the Scottish Liberal Democrats, and the Scottish National Party eliminated every seat the Conservatives held in Scotland.

As General Secretary, he managed Labour Party in Scotland's successful YES YES devolution referendum campaign in 1997.

In 1998, he served as a member of the Scottish Constitutional Convention where he pioneered the Scottish devolution referendum success, establishing the Scottish Parliament.

As a strong proponent of Scottish devolution, McConnell helped push for reform.

McConnell served as the Minister for Finance from 1999 to 2000 and Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs from 2000 to 2001.

Elected to serve as an MSP for the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency in the 1999 Scottish Parliament election, McConnell was appointed Minister for Finance under the Donald Dewar government.

Following the successful devolution campaign and the creation of a Scottish Parliament, McConnell was elected as an MSP, for Motherwell and Wishaw, in the first Scottish Parliament in May 1999.

After Dewar's death in 2000, he ran unsuccessfully for the leadership of the Labour Party in Scotland, having been defeated by Henry McLeish.

McLeish appointed McConnell as Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs.

In 2001, McLeish resigned in the aftermath of the Officegate scandal and McConnell was elected unopposed as the Scottish Labour leader.

He was appointed First Minister on 22 November 2001, becoming the youngest office holder.

In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, the Labour Party in Scotland became the second largest party, with the SNP having one seat more.

This therefore lead to McConnell losing office, becoming the first First Minister to have been defeated from office.

After losing office as first minister, McConnell sat as the Leader of the Opposition in Holyrood, until his resignation as leader.

He has been a Labour life peer in the House of Lords since 2010 and previously served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Motherwell and Wishaw from 1999 to 2011.

Born in Irvine, Ayrshire, McConnell studied at the University of Stirling and worked as a mathematics teacher at Lornshill Academy.

His political career began when he was elected to the Stirling District Council, while he was still teaching.

In 2010, McConnell became a member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom.

He made a commitment to continuing his work to tackle poverty in Africa and to develop the relationship between Scotland and Malawi.

He sat as a backbencher and stood down as an MSP in the 2011 election.

As first minister, he implemented a ban on smoking in public places, signed a Co-operation Agreement with Malawi, and successfully bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games to be hosted in Glasgow.