Ian Welsh
Encyclopedia
Ian McWilliam Welsh is a Scottish
politician who currently works as Chief Executive of Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland. After a brief career as a professional footballer, he was an English teacher and became a local councillor – serving twice as a council Leader. He was very narrowly elected as a Labour
Member of the Scottish Parliament
in 1999 but resigned at the end of the year, disillusioned at his failure to achieve office and having decided that he was uncomfortable with the mode of politics.
, Ayrshire
; he attended Prestwick Academy
and Ayr Academy
. He was a professional football player for Kilmarnock F.C.
, but when his football career ended he studied English Literature and History at the University of Glasgow
and obtained a Diploma in Educational Management at Jordanhill College
. He was employed as an English teacher at the James Hamilton Academy
in Kilmarnock
in 1977. He moved on to Auchinleck Academy in 1980, and became deputy Head Teacher there in 1992.
District Council in 1984. From the late 1980s chaired the Prestwick Airport Steering Group; he campaigned alongside Scottish MPs to preserve the monopoly which Prestwick then enjoyed on cross-Atlantic flights from Scotland. Welsh became council leader of Kyle and Carrick Council in 1990, holding office until Labour lost control of the council in 1992. In 1995 he was elected to South Ayrshire
Council, and served as Leader of the Council until 1999. He left teaching in 1997 and after briefly working as Director of Human Resources and Public Affairs for Prestwick Airport, was appointed Chief Executive of Kilmarnock F.C.
in May 1999, Welsh won the seat of Ayr
by just 25 votes (0.07%) over the Conservative and Unionist
candidate Phil Gallie
. The seat was the most marginal of the election, and there had to be two full recounts. He was named to the Education, Culture and Sport committee of the Parliament. In November 1999 he cautioned the members of the committee not to intervene in delicate negotiations over funding of Hampden Park
before it had a full briefing from the Minister responsible.
newspaper published in the middle of December 1999 noted that Welsh was only on leave of absence from being Chief Executive of Kilmarnock F.C., and said that he was "clearly finding the transition to 'humble' back bencher a bit hard". A week later, Welsh suddenly resigned his seat, explaining that the decision came after "considerable heart searching and extended family debate". After press speculation that he was disappointed not to have achieved high office, Welsh wrote an article explaining that as a council leader he delivered "real service to constituents, rather than the threadbare and raddled soundbites of politicians who promise everything and deliver nothing". At 230 days after election, he was the first MSP to resign from the job. The subsequent by-election
was won by John Scott
for the Conservatives, gaining the party their first constituency seat.
from 2002 to 2007, and became chairman of Ayr United
Football Academy in 2007. He was Director of UK Services for the Rehab Group from 2007 to 2011. He is currently Chief Executive of Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
politician who currently works as Chief Executive of Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland. After a brief career as a professional footballer, he was an English teacher and became a local councillor – serving twice as a council Leader. He was very narrowly elected as a Labour
Scottish Labour Party
The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....
Member of the Scottish Parliament
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:...
in 1999 but resigned at the end of the year, disillusioned at his failure to achieve office and having decided that he was uncomfortable with the mode of politics.
Teaching career
Welsh was born and brought up in PrestwickPrestwick
Prestwick is a town in South Ayrshire on the south-west coast of Scotland, about south-west of Glasgow. It adjoins the larger town of Ayr, the centre of which is about south...
, Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
; he attended Prestwick Academy
Prestwick Academy
Prestwick Academy is a state secondary school serving the area of Prestwick, South Ayrshire in Scotland. The school is non-denominational and has a capacity of 1400. Its motto is Per Vias Rectas, Latin for By Straight Paths.- History :...
and Ayr Academy
Ayr Academy
Ayr Academy is a non-denominational secondary school situated in the centre of the town of Ayr in South Ayrshire. It is a comprehensive school for children from the ages of 11 to 18 from Ayr. Ayr Academy's catchment area covers Newton-on-Ayr, Whitletts and the outlying villages of Coylton, Annbank,...
. He was a professional football player for Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
, but when his football career ended he studied English Literature and History at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
and obtained a Diploma in Educational Management at Jordanhill College
Jordanhill College
Jordanhill Campus, in Jordanhill, Glasgow, Scotland, is now home to the Faculty of Education of the University of Strathclyde. Within the University of Strathclyde faculty of education, departments include Childhood and Primary Studies, Creative and Aesthetic Studies, Curricular Studies,...
. He was employed as an English teacher at the James Hamilton Academy
James Hamilton Academy
James Hamilton Academy is a non-denominational, co-educational, comprehensive school which means that it is open to all boys and girls who live in the area which the school serves. It is located in Sutherland Drive, Kilmarnock, , East Ayrshire....
in Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734. It is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'...
in 1977. He moved on to Auchinleck Academy in 1980, and became deputy Head Teacher there in 1992.
Local government
Welsh went into politics as a councillor for Prestwick ward on Kyle and CarrickKyle and Carrick
Kyle and Carrick was one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde region of Scotland from 1975 to 1996....
District Council in 1984. From the late 1980s chaired the Prestwick Airport Steering Group; he campaigned alongside Scottish MPs to preserve the monopoly which Prestwick then enjoyed on cross-Atlantic flights from Scotland. Welsh became council leader of Kyle and Carrick Council in 1990, holding office until Labour lost control of the council in 1992. In 1995 he was elected to South Ayrshire
South Ayrshire
South Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway....
Council, and served as Leader of the Council until 1999. He left teaching in 1997 and after briefly working as Director of Human Resources and Public Affairs for Prestwick Airport, was appointed Chief Executive of Kilmarnock F.C.
MSP for Ayr
In the first elections 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 May 1999, Welsh won the seat of Ayr
Ayr (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Ayr is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
by just 25 votes (0.07%) over the Conservative and Unionist
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
The Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party is the part of the British Conservative Party that operates in Scotland. Like the UK party, it has a centre-right political philosophy which promotes conservatism and strong British Unionism...
candidate Phil Gallie
Phil Gallie
Philip Roy Gallie was a British politician who served as a Conservative Member of Parliament for Ayr from 1992 to 1997 and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the South of Scotland region from 1999 to 2007...
. The seat was the most marginal of the election, and there had to be two full recounts. He was named to the Education, Culture and Sport committee of the Parliament. In November 1999 he cautioned the members of the committee not to intervene in delicate negotiations over funding of Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
before it had a full briefing from the Minister responsible.
Resignation
An assessment of the performance of each MSP by The HeraldThe Herald (Glasgow)
The Herald is a broadsheet newspaper published Monday to Saturday in Glasgow, and available throughout Scotland. As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 47,226, giving it a lead over Scotland's other 'quality' national daily, The Scotsman, published in Edinburgh.The 1889 to 1906 editions...
newspaper published in the middle of December 1999 noted that Welsh was only on leave of absence from being Chief Executive of Kilmarnock F.C., and said that he was "clearly finding the transition to 'humble' back bencher a bit hard". A week later, Welsh suddenly resigned his seat, explaining that the decision came after "considerable heart searching and extended family debate". After press speculation that he was disappointed not to have achieved high office, Welsh wrote an article explaining that as a council leader he delivered "real service to constituents, rather than the threadbare and raddled soundbites of politicians who promise everything and deliver nothing". At 230 days after election, he was the first MSP to resign from the job. The subsequent by-election
Ayr by-election, 2000
The Ayr by-election on March 16, 2000 was the first by-election for the Scottish Parliament that had been established the year previously. It was caused by the resignation of Ian Welsh who had been elected at the Scottish Parliamentary Election, 1999...
was won by John Scott
John Scott (Scottish politician)
John Scott is a Scottish farmer and politician, and is a Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament for Ayr.Born in Girvan, he has been MSP for Ayr since winning it in a by-election in 2000. He was returned in the 2003 parliamentary election and again, with an increased majority, in the 2007...
for the Conservatives, gaining the party their first constituency seat.
Later career
Welsh returned to his post as Chief Executive of Kilmarnock F.C., but in July 2001 was appointed as Chief Executive of Rehab Scotland. He was Chief Executive of Momentum Scotland, a charity providing rehabilitation and training for disabled people, from 2001 to 2007. He was also Chairman of Borderline Theatre CompanyBorderline Theatre Company
Borderline Theatre company is a touring theatre company based in Ayr, Scotland.Its alumni include the actors Billy Connolly and Robbie Coltrane. Recent successes include the award-winning, critically acclaimed plays The Wall and The Ducky by D C Jackson....
from 2002 to 2007, and became chairman of Ayr United
Ayr United F.C.
Ayr United Football Club are a Scottish association football team based in Ayr, South Ayrshire, that plays in the First Division of the Scottish Football League. Formed in 1910 after the merger of former clubs Ayr Parkhouse F.C. and Ayr F.C...
Football Academy in 2007. He was Director of UK Services for the Rehab Group from 2007 to 2011. He is currently Chief Executive of Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland.