Malcolm Chisholm
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Chisholm is a Scottish
Labour Party
politician, and a former Scottish Executive
minister.
and the University of Edinburgh
and became an English
teacher. He is married with three children. He is known to be a Hibs
fan.
(MP) for Edinburgh Leith from 1992, then Edinburgh North and Leith
from 1997. He served as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland
responsible for local government and transport minister for a few months in 1997 but resigned over lone parent benefit cuts. He remained an MP until 2001, when he stood down from the House of Commons in order to concentrate on the Scottish Parliament
, to which he was elected in 1999 for the same constituency
.
He became Minister for Health and Community Care in 2001, then Minister for Communities from October 2004. As Minister for Health and Community Care, Chisholm introduced and oversaw the passage of the National Health Service Reform (Scotland) Bill which brought about the abolition of NHS Trusts in Scotland and the creation of Community Health Partnerships.
As Minister for Communities, Chisholm oversaw investment in the building of affordable homes, approved a proposal from Fife Council for a moratorium on council house sales in order to maintain the supply of affordable housing, developed reforms of planning policy to protect green spaces, and extended the Central Heating Programme and Warm Deal to provide and refurbish heating systems for pensioners.
In December 2006 he criticised the decision to renew Trident
, Britain's nuclear deterrent, in opposition to First Minister
Jack McConnell
, leading to speculation that he might be removed from office. He subsequently resigned on 21 December 2006 after supporting a motion passed by the Scottish National Party
that opposed the replacement of the nuclear submarines.
On 17 September 2007 he was appointed Shadow Minister for Culture and External Affairs by new Scottish Labour Opposition Leader, Wendy Alexander. In September 2008 Malcolm chose to return to the backbenches of the Scottish Labour Group to spend more time campaigning on constituency issues, such as the proposed Leith Biomass Plant.
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...
Labour Party
Scottish Labour Party
The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....
politician, and a former Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
minister.
Background
Chisholm was educated at George Watson's CollegeGeorge Watson's College
George Watson's College, known informally as Watson's, is a co-educational independent day school in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. It was first established as a hospital school in 1741, became a day school in 1871 and was merged with its sister school...
and 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...
and became an English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
teacher. He is married with three children. He is known to be a Hibs
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
fan.
Career
Chisholm was Member of ParliamentMember 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,...
(MP) for Edinburgh Leith from 1992, then Edinburgh North and Leith
Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh North and Leith is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 1997 general election. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
from 1997. He served as a 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...
responsible for local government and transport minister for a few months in 1997 but resigned over lone parent benefit cuts. He remained an MP until 2001, when he stood down from the House of Commons in order to concentrate on 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 which he was elected in 1999 for the same constituency
Edinburgh North and Leith (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh North and Leith is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
.
He became Minister for Health and Community Care in 2001, then Minister for Communities from October 2004. As Minister for Health and Community Care, Chisholm introduced and oversaw the passage of the National Health Service Reform (Scotland) Bill which brought about the abolition of NHS Trusts in Scotland and the creation of Community Health Partnerships.
As Minister for Communities, Chisholm oversaw investment in the building of affordable homes, approved a proposal from Fife Council for a moratorium on council house sales in order to maintain the supply of affordable housing, developed reforms of planning policy to protect green spaces, and extended the Central Heating Programme and Warm Deal to provide and refurbish heating systems for pensioners.
In December 2006 he criticised the decision to renew Trident
Trident
A trident , also called a trishul or leister or gig, is a three-pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and was also a military weapon. Tridents are featured widely in mythical, historical and modern culture. The major Hindu god, Shiva the Destroyer and the sea god Poseidon or Neptune are...
, Britain's nuclear deterrent, in opposition to First Minister
First Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
Jack McConnell
Jack McConnell
Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale is a British Labour life peer in the House of Lords. He was third First Minister of Scotland from 2001 to 2007, making him the longest serving First Minister in the history of the Scottish Parliament...
, leading to speculation that he might be removed from office. He subsequently resigned on 21 December 2006 after supporting a motion passed by 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....
that opposed the replacement of the nuclear submarines.
On 17 September 2007 he was appointed Shadow Minister for Culture and External Affairs by new Scottish Labour Opposition Leader, Wendy Alexander. In September 2008 Malcolm chose to return to the backbenches of the Scottish Labour Group to spend more time campaigning on constituency issues, such as the proposed Leith Biomass Plant.
External links
- Malcolm Chisholm MSP Scottish Parliament website
- Malcolm Chisholm MSP Profile at Labour party website
- Malcolm Chisholm MSP, Edinburgh North and Leith Constituency website
- Minister quits for second time BBC Scotland profile