David Mundell
Encyclopedia
David Gordon Mundell is a British Conservative
politician and, since 2005, he has been the only Conservative Member of Parliament representing a Scottish Westminster constituency
(Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale
). Since the 2010 UK General Election he has been the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, based at the Scotland Office
.
and grew up in Newton Wamphray
and Lockerbie. He went to Lockerbie Academy in Lockerbie
, and studied law at the University of Edinburgh
, also gaining a Diploma in Legal Practice
. He received an MBA from the University of Strathclyde Business School
.
He had joined the Young Conservatives when he was 14 but defected to the Social Democratic Party
(SDP) when he was studying law in 1981. In 2002, his explanation for the defection was: The first Thatcher government
did get a bit bogged down and it wasn't really the radical government that subsequently emerged,... And the fact that you had a completely new opportunity to wipe the slate clean, with no baggage, was a very attractive thing.
He worked as a solicitor then joined BT
as Group Legal Advisor for Scotland in 1991. He became BT Scotland's head of national affairs, remaining with BT until becoming an MSP. Mundell was a councillor for the Social Democratic Party
(SDP) in Annandale and Eskdale
from 1984-6 and on Dumfries and Galloway
council for another one until 1987, when a student. He is a member of the Law Society of Scotland
and Writers to the Signet
.
Mundell currently lives in Moffat
. He has one daughter (Eve) and two sons (Oliver and Lewis) from a previous marriage.
in 1999
and 2003 as a "list"
MSP
for the South of Scotland
, and contested the Scottish parliamentary constituency of Dumfries
in 1999 and 2003.
, Mundell was elected as MP
for the Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale constituency. He is presently the only Conservative MP representing a Scottish constituency. Following his election to Westminster
, Mundell resigned from the Scottish Parliament
in June 2005. His seat was taken by Derek Brownlee
, who was next on the Conservatives' list for the South of Scotland region.
Being the lone Conservative representing a Scottish constituency, Mundell quickly gained public attention relative to newly elected MPs. He was appointed by David Cameron
to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
in December 2005.
Mundell joined a total of 18 MPs who are either Scottish or represent Scottish constituencies in signing a Commons motion saying football "should not be any different from other competing sports and our young talent should be allowed to show their skills on the world stage", thereby endorsing the idea of Team GB entering a British football team in the London 2012 Olympics
. Football governing bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland oppose a Great Britain team, fearing it would stop them competing as individual nations in future tournaments.
Mundell represented the Scottish Conservative Party on the three Scottish Leaders' Debates broadcast on ITV1
, Sky News
and BBC1.
in run-up to the 2010 general election. Following the election, the Conservative Party formed a coalition government
with the Liberal Democrats
. Due to the Liberal Democrats larger number of seats in Scotland, the post of Secretary of State for Scotland
was appointed to a the Liberal Democrat MP's Danny Alexander
and then Michael Moore
. Mundell was given the non-cabinet role of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland
which is a post supporting the Secretary of State for Scotland.
He was appointed as a Privy Counsellor
on 9 June 2010.
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and, since 2005, he has been the only Conservative Member of Parliament representing a Scottish Westminster constituency
Scottish Westminster constituencies
Scottish Westminster constituencies were Scottish constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain, normally at the Palace of Westminster, from 1708 to 1801, and have been constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, also at Westminster,...
(Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (UK Parliament constituency)
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale is a constituency of the British House of Commons, located in the south of Scotland, within the Dumfries and Galloway, South Lanarkshire and Scottish Borders council areas...
). Since the 2010 UK General Election he has been the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, based at the Scotland Office
Scotland Office
The Scotland Office is a United Kingdom government department headed by the Secretary of State for Scotland and responsible for Scottish affairs...
.
Background
David Mundell was born in DumfriesDumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
and grew up in Newton Wamphray
Newton Wamphray
Newton Wamphray is a village in Dumfries and Galloway. Wamphray is the name of the surrounding parish and of the Wamphray Water, which flows south-west through the Wamphray Glen to join the River Annan near the small village, or hamlet, of Newton....
and Lockerbie. He went to Lockerbie Academy in Lockerbie
Lockerbie
Lockerbie is a town in the Dumfries and Galloway region of south-western Scotland. It lies approximately from Glasgow, and from the English border. It had a population of 4,009 at the 2001 census...
, and studied law at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, also gaining a Diploma in Legal Practice
Diploma in Legal Practice
The Diploma in Legal Practice is a Scottish postgraduate qualification required in order to practise law in Scotland, as either a solicitor or an advocate...
. He received an MBA from the University of Strathclyde Business School
Strathclyde Business School
The Strathclyde Business School is one of the five schools which constitute the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. It includes a number of departments which offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses, and the Department of Management which specialises in postgraduate business...
.
He had joined the Young Conservatives when he was 14 but defected to the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
(SDP) when he was studying law in 1981. In 2002, his explanation for the defection was: The first Thatcher government
Conservative Government 1979-1983
-Formation:Following the vote of no confidence against the Labour government and prime minister James Callaghan on 28 March 1979, a general election was called for 3 May 1979. The Tories won the election with a majority of 43 seats and their leader Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female...
did get a bit bogged down and it wasn't really the radical government that subsequently emerged,... And the fact that you had a completely new opportunity to wipe the slate clean, with no baggage, was a very attractive thing.
He worked as a solicitor then joined BT
BT Group
BT Group plc is a global telecommunications services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the largest telecommunications services companies in the world and has operations in more than 170 countries. Through its BT Global Services division it is a major supplier of...
as Group Legal Advisor for Scotland in 1991. He became BT Scotland's head of national affairs, remaining with BT until becoming an MSP. Mundell was a councillor for the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
(SDP) in Annandale and Eskdale
Annandale and Eskdale
Annandale and Eskdale is a committee area in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It covers the areas of Annandale and Eskdale, the straths of the River Annan and the River Esk respectively....
from 1984-6 and on Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
council for another one until 1987, when a student. He is a member of the Law Society of Scotland
Law Society of Scotland
The Law Society of Scotland is the professional governing body for Scottish solicitors.It promotes excellence among solicitors through representation, support and regulation of its members. It also promotes the interests of the public in relation to the profession...
and Writers to the Signet
Writers to the Signet
The Society of Writers to Her Majesty’s Signet is a private society of Scottish solicitors, dating back to 1594 and part of the College of Justice. Writers to the Signet originally had special privileges in relation to the drawing up of documents which required to be signeted, but these have since...
.
Mundell currently lives in Moffat
Moffat
Moffat is a former burgh and spa town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, lying on the River Annan, with a population of around 2,500. The most notable building in the town is the Moffat House Hotel, designed by John Adam...
. He has one daughter (Eve) and two sons (Oliver and Lewis) from a previous marriage.
Scottish Parliament
Mundell was elected to the Scottish ParliamentScottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
in 1999
Scottish Parliament election, 1999
The Scottish Parliament election, 1999 was the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, with voting taking place on 6 May 1999 to elect 129 members...
and 2003 as a "list"
Additional Member System
The Additional Member System is the term used in the United Kingdom for the mixed member proportional representation voting system used in Scotland, Wales and the London Assembly....
MSP
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
for the South of Scotland
South of Scotland
South of Scotland can refer to:* South of Scotland * South of Scotland rugby union team* An area comprising the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway...
, and contested the Scottish parliamentary constituency of Dumfries
Dumfries (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Dumfries was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
in 1999 and 2003.
House of Commons
In the 2005 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
, Mundell was elected as MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale constituency. He is presently the only Conservative MP representing a Scottish constituency. Following his election to Westminster
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
, Mundell resigned from the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
in June 2005. His seat was taken by Derek Brownlee
Derek Brownlee
Derek Brownlee is a Scottish accountant and politician, who is a former Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament for the South of Scotland Region .-Background:...
, who was next on the Conservatives' list for the South of Scotland region.
Being the lone Conservative representing a Scottish constituency, Mundell quickly gained public attention relative to newly elected MPs. He was appointed by David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
Secretary of State for Scotland
The Secretary of State for Scotland is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Scotland. He heads the Scotland Office , a government department based in London and Edinburgh. The post was created soon after the Union of the Crowns, but was...
in December 2005.
Mundell joined a total of 18 MPs who are either Scottish or represent Scottish constituencies in signing a Commons motion saying football "should not be any different from other competing sports and our young talent should be allowed to show their skills on the world stage", thereby endorsing the idea of Team GB entering a British football team in the London 2012 Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
. Football governing bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland oppose a Great Britain team, fearing it would stop them competing as individual nations in future tournaments.
Mundell represented the Scottish Conservative Party on the three Scottish Leaders' Debates broadcast on ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
, Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
and BBC1.
In Government
Mundell had served as the Shadow Scottish Secretary in the Conservative Party's Shadow CabinetShadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
in run-up to the 2010 general election. Following the election, the Conservative Party formed a coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
with the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
. Due to the Liberal Democrats larger number of seats in Scotland, the post of Secretary of State for Scotland
Secretary of State for Scotland
The Secretary of State for Scotland is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Scotland. He heads the Scotland Office , a government department based in London and Edinburgh. The post was created soon after the Union of the Crowns, but was...
was appointed to a the Liberal Democrat MP's Danny Alexander
Danny Alexander
Daniel Grian Alexander is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has been Chief Secretary to the Treasury since 2010. He has been the Member of Parliament for the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey constituency since 2005....
and then Michael Moore
Michael Moore (UK politician)
Michael Kevin Moore is a British Liberal Democrat politician, currently the Secretary of State for Scotland in the UK coalition government, and the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk....
. Mundell was given the non-cabinet role of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland
Under-Secretary of State for Scotland
The Under-Secretary of State for Scotland is a junior ministerial post in the United Kingdom government, supporting the Secretary of State for Scotland...
which is a post supporting the Secretary of State for Scotland.
He was appointed as a Privy Counsellor
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
on 9 June 2010.
External links
- David Mundell MP official constituency website
- David Mundell Conservative Party profile
- David Mundell MP Scottish Conservative Party profile
- DCT Conservatives