Joe FitzPatrick
Encyclopedia
Joe FitzPatrick is a Scottish
politician, and member for the Scottish National Party
for Dundee West
in the Scottish Parliament
since May 2007, succeeding retiring Labour MSP Kate Maclean
.
and Abertay University. He was active in student politics. At Inverness College he was elected President of the Students Association and was the first Sabbatical President. He was elected to the National Executive of NUS (Scotland) in 1990 and was given specific responsibility for LGBT
issues. He was later elected as the Area Convenor for the National Union of Students
(North of Scotland Area) in 1991-92.
Before his election to the Scottish Parliament
, FitzPatrick worked for Dundee SNP parliamentarians Shona Robison
MSP and Stewart Hosie
MP and was also a Dundee City councillor and SNP group whip
and finance spokesperson.
He was elected as the SNP Group Secretary in the Parliament and is member of the Finance Committee and SNP substitute on the Health Committee. He is also the Parliamentary Liaison Officer to John Swinney
MSP (Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth). In 2007 FitzPatrick was elected to the SNP's National Executive Committee. In 2009 he co-ordinated the SNP's successful Europen Election Campaign.
FitzPatrick is one of four openly LGBT
MSPs, along with Patrick Harvie
and Ruth Davidson
.
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, and member for the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
for Dundee West
Dundee West (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Dundee West is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the first past the post method of election...
in 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...
since May 2007, succeeding retiring Labour MSP Kate Maclean
Kate Maclean
Kate Maclean is a Scottish Labour politician, and was the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Dundee West constituency from 1999 to 2007....
.
Life and career
FitzPatrick was educated at Whitfield Primary School, Whitfield High School, Inverness CollegeInverness College
Inverness College is a college based in Inverness, in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is the hub campus of the University of the Highlands and Islands and its executive offices are located on the banks of the River Ness in the centre of town. The main campus is in the Longman, there is...
and Abertay University. He was active in student politics. At Inverness College he was elected President of the Students Association and was the first Sabbatical President. He was elected to the National Executive of NUS (Scotland) in 1990 and was given specific responsibility for LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
issues. He was later elected as the Area Convenor for the National Union of Students
National Union of Students Scotland
The National Union of Students Scotland is an autonomous body within the National Union of Students. It is the national representative body of 530,000 students studying in further and higher education in Scotland and was formed following the merger of NUS in Scotland with the Scottish Union of...
(North of Scotland Area) in 1991-92.
Before his election to 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...
, FitzPatrick worked for Dundee SNP parliamentarians Shona Robison
Shona Robison
Shona Robison is a Member of the Scottish Parliament for Dundee East. She was elected as a Scottish National Party candidate in the 2003 election...
MSP and Stewart Hosie
Stewart Hosie
Stewart Hosie is the Scottish National Party Member of Parliament for Dundee East. He is Deputy Leader and Chief Whip of the SNP Westminster Group and House of Commons party spokesperson on the Treasury and Economic matters...
MP and was also a Dundee City councillor and SNP group whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
and finance spokesperson.
He was elected as the SNP Group Secretary in the Parliament and is member of the Finance Committee and SNP substitute on the Health Committee. He is also the Parliamentary Liaison Officer to John Swinney
John Swinney
John Ramsey Swinney is the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth in the Scottish Government and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire North, having previously represented North Tayside...
MSP (Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth). In 2007 FitzPatrick was elected to the SNP's National Executive Committee. In 2009 he co-ordinated the SNP's successful Europen Election Campaign.
FitzPatrick is one of four openly LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
MSPs, along with Patrick Harvie
Patrick Harvie
Patrick Harvie is the co-convenor of the Scottish Green Party and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Glasgow region...
and Ruth Davidson
Ruth Davidson
Ruth Davidson is a politician, former BBC journalist and the current leader of the Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party...
.
External links
- Joe FitzPatrick MSP Scottish Parliament webpage
- Joe FitzPatrick SNP website biography