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Keith Brown (politician)
Encyclopedia
Keith Brown is a Scottish
politician
and currently the Minister for Housing and Transport in the Scottish Government. As a member of the Scottish National Party
(SNP), he was elected to the Scottish Parliament
to represent the Ochil
constituency at the 2007 election. In the 2011 election, Brown won re-election to the Scottish Parliament, representing the newly created Clackmannanshire and Dunblane
constituency.
in the city, before joining the Royal Marines
and serving in the Falklands War
. Upon leaving the Marines he attended the University of Dundee
where he joined the SNP, graduating in Politics
in 1988. He then went to work in local government administration.
He was the SNP candidate for the European Parliament
for Lothian
s constituency in 1994, coming second with 53,324 votes. Brown was then elected to represent Alva
on Clackmannanshire Council
in a by-election
in 1996. He became group leader in 1997, and then Leader of the Council after the SNP took control of Clackmannanshire in the 2003 elections.
He was appointed to be Convener of both the Parliament's Standards & Public Appointments Committee and Procedures Committee, and after overseeing their merger now convenes the new Standards, Procedures & Public Appointments Committee.
In his maiden speech on the abolition of bridge tolls he declared that he still had an outstanding fine from the Skye Bridge protests of 1994. He has been an opponent of the proposals for an overhead electricity line from Beauly
to Denny
, arguing for an underground alternative. Brown has also been campaigning for Scotland football matches to be available on terrestrial television
.
In the first reshuffle of the SNP Government in 2009, Brown was appointed Minister for Schools and Skills. In December 2010 he was appointed as Minster for Transport in the Scottish government.
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
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and currently the Minister for Housing and Transport in the Scottish Government. As a member of 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....
(SNP), he was elected 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...
to represent the Ochil
Ochil (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Ochil was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
constituency at the 2007 election. In the 2011 election, Brown won re-election to the Scottish Parliament, representing the newly created Clackmannanshire and Dunblane
Clackmannanshire and Dunblane (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Clackmannanshire and Dunblane is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It will elect one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
constituency.
Early career
Born in Edinburgh, Brown attended Tynecastle High SchoolTynecastle High School
Tynecastle High School is a secondary school in South West Edinburgh, Scotland.-Headteacher and SMT:The Headteacher is Tom Rae. He is assisted by his depute heads Elizabeth Turnbull, Jacqueline Ramsay and Jim Brown.-History:...
in the city, before joining the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
and serving in the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
. Upon leaving the Marines he attended the University of Dundee
University of Dundee
The University of Dundee is a university based in the city and Royal burgh of Dundee on eastern coast of the central Lowlands of Scotland and with a small number of institutions elsewhere....
where he joined the SNP, graduating in Politics
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
in 1988. He then went to work in local government administration.
He was the SNP candidate for the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
for Lothian
Lothian
Lothian forms a traditional region of Scotland, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills....
s constituency in 1994, coming second with 53,324 votes. Brown was then elected to represent Alva
Alva, Clackmannanshire
Alva is a small town in Clackmannanshire, set in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It is one of a number of towns situated immediately to the south of the Ochil Hills, collectively referred to as the Hillfoots Villages or simply The Hillfoots...
on Clackmannanshire Council
Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'....
in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in 1996. He became group leader in 1997, and then Leader of the Council after the SNP took control of Clackmannanshire in the 2003 elections.
Holyrood
Brown was elected to the Scottish Parliament by Ochil constituency at the 2007 elections, increasing both absolute SNP vote and majority.He was appointed to be Convener of both the Parliament's Standards & Public Appointments Committee and Procedures Committee, and after overseeing their merger now convenes the new Standards, Procedures & Public Appointments Committee.
In his maiden speech on the abolition of bridge tolls he declared that he still had an outstanding fine from the Skye Bridge protests of 1994. He has been an opponent of the proposals for an overhead electricity line from Beauly
Beauly
Beauly is a town of the Scottish county of Inverness-shire, on the River Beauly, 10 miles west of Inverness by the Far North railway line. Its population was 855 in 1901...
to Denny
Denny, Falkirk
Denny is a town in the Falkirk council area of Scotland, formerly in the county of Stirlingshire. It is situated west of Falkirk, and north-east of Cumbernauld, adjacent to both the M80 and M876 motorways...
, arguing for an underground alternative. Brown has also been campaigning for Scotland football matches to be available on terrestrial television
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
.
In the first reshuffle of the SNP Government in 2009, Brown was appointed Minister for Schools and Skills. In December 2010 he was appointed as Minster for Transport in the Scottish government.