Douglas Alexander

The Rt. Hon. Douglas Garven Alexander MP (born 26 October 1967 in Glasgow) is the British Member of Parliament for Paisley and Renfrewshire South. He is a member of the Labour Party, and serves as Minister of State for Europe in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, attending Cabinet.

Related Topics:
26 October - 1967 - Glasgow - British - Member of Parliament - Paisley and Renfrewshire South - Labour Party - Minister of State for Europe - Foreign and Commonwealth Office - Cabinet

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Born in Glasgow, Alexander attended Park Mains High School in Erskine in Renfrewshire, and then Lester B. Pearson College in Vancouver, Canada for his Bachelor's. He then went to Edinburgh University, where he got a Master's in 1990, an LLB in 1993, and a diploma in legal practice the next year. Alexander worked as a speech-writer and parliamentary researcher for Gordon Brown for a year in 1990, and then went into practice after securing his diploma, working as a solicitor until 1997.

Related Topics:
Glasgow - Erskine - Renfrewshire - Vancouver - Canada - Bachelor's - Edinburgh University - Master's - 1990 - LLB - 1993 - Gordon Brown - 1997

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He unsuccessfully contested Perth and Kinross in a by-election there in 1995, and Perth in the 1997 general election. He then became an MP, after winning the November 1997 by-election trigged by the suicide of Gordon McMaster, who had won it in.

Related Topics:
Perth and Kinross - 1995 - Perth - 1997 general election - 1997 - By-election - Gordon McMaster

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Alexander took a successful co-ordinating role in his party's campaign for the 2001 general election, and was subsequently made a Minister of State with responsibility for "e-commerce and competitiveness" in the Department for Trade and Industry in June 2001.

Related Topics:
2001 general election - Minister of State - Department for Trade and Industry - 2001

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In May 2002, Alexander was transferred to the Cabinet Office to continue to serve in the same task. Then, in June 2003, he was made Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster; it was suggested that this was so that he could help plan for the next general election. However, Alan Milburn came out of retirement for the post in September 2004, and so Alexander was made the Minister of State for Trade in both the Department for Trade and Industry and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. After the 2005 general election, he was given the role of Minister of State for Europe, part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which special provision to attend Cabinet. This job is seen as crucial to successfully piloting the referendum on the European Constitution, a significant electoral pledge by Labour. On 7th June 2005, he was made a Member of the Privy Council.

Related Topics:
2002 - Cabinet Office - 2003 - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster - Alan Milburn - 2004 - Minister of State for Trade - Department for Trade and Industry - Foreign and Commonwealth Office - 2005 general election - Minister of State for Europe - Cabinet - European Constitution - Privy Council

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Alexander is on the Labour Party's National Executive Committee, and his sister, Wendy Alexander, is also involved in politics, as an MSP.

Related Topics:
National Executive Committee - Wendy Alexander - MSP

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