Pauline McNeill
Encyclopedia
Pauline McNeill is a Labour
politician and formerly a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Kelvin
, Scotland, having been elected in the Scottish Parliament
elections in 1999
, 2003
and 2007
. Although her share of the vote increased by 6% she lost her seat in the 2011 Scottish Parliament election.
, before training as a graphic illustrator at Glasgow College of Building and Printing
. She was President of the National Union of Students Scotland
from 1986 to 1988 and was subsequently an organiser for the trades-union, GMB Scotland, representing NHS workers, hospitality and factory staff amongst many others.
An active member of the Labour Party
since her time in the student movement, McNeill was also an executive committee member of the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly
and a committed campaigner for devolution throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
McNeill is married to Joseph Cahill, an advocate
, who is a former police officer and Deputy Procurator Fiscal
.
, after a period combining legislating and night school. In 2007 she narrowly retained the Glasgow Kelvin seat with a reduced majority in the face of fierce public opposition to the national Labour Government's invasion of Iraq, a policy which she opposed.
Following the elections in May 2007 Pauline McNeill was appointed Shadow Minister for Children and Early Years and subsequently Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Europe, External Affairs and Culture.
In the first term of the new Parliament, 1999–2003, she was elected as Vice Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party before being appointed convener of two of Parliament’s busiest committees, Justice 2 and subsequently Justice 1. As a Justice Committee Convener, McNeill led Parliamentary consideration of:
McNeill's committee also led consideration of reforms to the High Court amongst many other subjects and convened the first ever inquiry into the Crown and Procurator Fiscal Service, and was proud to help deliver justice for asbestos victims in the Court of Session
. Her Committee won Committee of the Year at the 2006 Scottish Politician of the Year Awards and in 2005 she received the Equality Network 'Friend for Life' Award for her work on civil partnerships and gender recognition.
McNeill was convener of the Cross Party Group on Contemporary Music, which last year launched the Scottish Live Music Manifesto, and published Britain’s first Live Music Code of Conduct and Live Music Agreement, the purpose of these documents is to improve protection for bands and particularly young musicians from unscrupulous venues, agents and promoters. This work reflects Pauline’s past employment as a band manager and has been unique in uniting many of the key figures in the Scottish live music industry.
Since her student days, McNeill has had a strong interest in international issues. She was the Convener of the Cross Party Group on Palestine
, and was a United Nations
observer at the 2006 Palestinian Authority elections, later in 2006 she visited Lebanon
in the aftermath of the war there, and continues to speak out, both in the Parliament, and at demonstrations, public meetings and protests on the need for a peaceful and just solution in the Middle East. She was a staunch opponent of the war in Iraq
and campaigned for the right of protesters to picket the Labour Party’s 2003 Spring Conference, which took place at the SECC in her own constituency.
Pauline McNeill was instrumental in the granting of Fair Trade status to the City of Glasgow and walked in the Edinburgh Make Poverty History March when the G8 came to Gleneagles
. She opposes the replacement of Britain's Trident
nuclear weapons system, and has made her opposition clear in the Scottish Parliament and outside.
She opposes the holding of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay
and has spoken out in favour of the rights of asylum seekers and new migrants. She remains a supporter of many student campaigns, including the successful campaign to elect Israeli dissident, Mordechai Vanunu
, as Rector of Glasgow University
and takes a keen interest in the welfare of students across the many further and higher institutions located in Glasgow Kelvin. She also campaigned against closures and downgrading (including a 1,600 signature petition) at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill and the Queen Mother's Hospital.
Since her election she has corresponded with almost 15,000 local people and has attended countless meeting across the constituency. Locally, she campaigns on the need for more affordable and social housing, more effective steps to increase recycling take-up and reduce energy usage, better regulation of public transport – specifically the bus industry, improvements to the Glasgow Subway, a more locally accountable planning system, standing up for and improving local sports facilities, creating a safer city centre and the extension of community protections to the West End, better regulation of housing in multiple occupation and supports the campaign to save and restore the Kelvingrove Park Bandstand.
She was awarded the Equality Network's Friend for Life award for her work in ensuring that the Civil Partnership Act 2004
and Gender Recognition Act 2004
legislation passed at the British Government level was compliant with existing Scottish legislation.
McNeill was a member of the following cross-party groups in the Scottish Parliament: Affordable Housing, Cuba
, Human Rights
, the Scottish Economy, Tobacco Control
, Visual Impairment
, Refugees and Asylum Seekers and Gaelic (Buidheann Thar Phartaidh na Gàidhlig).
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician and formerly a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Kelvin
Glasgow Kelvin (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Kelvin is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
, Scotland, having been elected 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...
elections 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...
, 2003
Scottish Parliament election, 2003
The Scottish Parliament election, 2003, was the second general election of the Scottish Parliament. It was held on 1 May 2003 and it brought no change in terms of control of the Scottish Executive...
and 2007
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
. Although her share of the vote increased by 6% she lost her seat in the 2011 Scottish Parliament election.
Biography
She was educated at Our Lady's High School, CumbernauldCumbernauld
Cumbernauld is a Scottish new town in North Lanarkshire. It was created in 1956 as a population overspill for Glasgow City. It is the eighth most populous settlement in Scotland and the largest in North Lanarkshire...
, before training as a graphic illustrator at Glasgow College of Building and Printing
Glasgow Metropolitan College
Glasgow Metropolitan College was a further education college located in Glasgow, Scotland. The College was created on 7 February 2005 by the merger of the Glasgow College of Building & Printing and Glasgow College of Food Technology and itself merged with Central College and Glasgow College of...
. She was President of the National Union of Students Scotland
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...
from 1986 to 1988 and was subsequently an organiser for the trades-union, GMB Scotland, representing NHS workers, hospitality and factory staff amongst many others.
An active member of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
since her time in the student movement, McNeill was also an executive committee member of the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly
Campaign for a Scottish Assembly
The Campaign for a Scottish Assembly was formed in the aftermath of the 1979 referendum that failed to establish a devolved Scottish Assembly....
and a committed campaigner for devolution throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
McNeill is married to Joseph Cahill, an advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
, who is a former police officer and Deputy Procurator Fiscal
Procurator Fiscal
A procurator fiscal is a public prosecutor in Scotland. They investigate all sudden and suspicious deaths in Scotland , conduct Fatal Accident Inquiries and handle criminal complaints against the police A procurator fiscal (pl. procurators fiscal) is a public prosecutor in Scotland. They...
.
Career
During her first term as the MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, she graduated from Strathclyde Law SchoolStrathclyde Law School
Strathclyde Law School was established in 1964 and operates within the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences at the University of Strathclyde, in Glasgow, Scotland....
, after a period combining legislating and night school. In 2007 she narrowly retained the Glasgow Kelvin seat with a reduced majority in the face of fierce public opposition to the national Labour Government's invasion of Iraq, a policy which she opposed.
In politics
McNeill was elected as Glasgow Kelvin’s first-ever Member of the Scottish Parliament on 6 May 1999 and re-elected in 2003 and 2007.Following the elections in May 2007 Pauline McNeill was appointed Shadow Minister for Children and Early Years and subsequently Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Europe, External Affairs and Culture.
In the first term of the new Parliament, 1999–2003, she was elected as Vice Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party before being appointed convener of two of Parliament’s busiest committees, Justice 2 and subsequently Justice 1. As a Justice Committee Convener, McNeill led Parliamentary consideration of:
- Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003
- Civil Partnership Act 2004
- Rights of Relatives to Damages (Mesothelioma) (Scotland) Bill
- Scottish Criminal Record Office Inquiry
- Scottish Commission for Human Rights Act 2006
- Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006
McNeill's committee also led consideration of reforms to the High Court amongst many other subjects and convened the first ever inquiry into the Crown and Procurator Fiscal Service, and was proud to help deliver justice for asbestos victims in the Court of Session
Court of Session
The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland, and constitutes part of the College of Justice. It sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh and is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal....
. Her Committee won Committee of the Year at the 2006 Scottish Politician of the Year Awards and in 2005 she received the Equality Network 'Friend for Life' Award for her work on civil partnerships and gender recognition.
McNeill was convener of the Cross Party Group on Contemporary Music, which last year launched the Scottish Live Music Manifesto, and published Britain’s first Live Music Code of Conduct and Live Music Agreement, the purpose of these documents is to improve protection for bands and particularly young musicians from unscrupulous venues, agents and promoters. This work reflects Pauline’s past employment as a band manager and has been unique in uniting many of the key figures in the Scottish live music industry.
Since her student days, McNeill has had a strong interest in international issues. She was the Convener of the Cross Party Group on Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, and was a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
observer at the 2006 Palestinian Authority elections, later in 2006 she visited Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
in the aftermath of the war there, and continues to speak out, both in the Parliament, and at demonstrations, public meetings and protests on the need for a peaceful and just solution in the Middle East. She was a staunch opponent of the war in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and campaigned for the right of protesters to picket the Labour Party’s 2003 Spring Conference, which took place at the SECC in her own constituency.
Pauline McNeill was instrumental in the granting of Fair Trade status to the City of Glasgow and walked in the Edinburgh Make Poverty History March when the G8 came to Gleneagles
Gleneagles
Gleneagles may refer to the following:*Gleneagles, Scotland**The July 2005 G8 Summit held at Gleneagles, Scotland*Gleneagles Agreement*Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder*Gleneagles Hotel, Torquay, the inspiration for Fawlty Towers....
. She opposes the replacement of Britain's 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...
nuclear weapons system, and has made her opposition clear in the Scottish Parliament and outside.
She opposes the holding of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp is a detainment and interrogation facility of the United States located within Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. The facility was established in 2002 by the Bush Administration to hold detainees from the war in Afghanistan and later Iraq...
and has spoken out in favour of the rights of asylum seekers and new migrants. She remains a supporter of many student campaigns, including the successful campaign to elect Israeli dissident, Mordechai Vanunu
Mordechai Vanunu
Mordechai Vanunu ; is a former Israeli nuclear technician who, citing his opposition to weapons of mass destruction, revealed details of Israel's nuclear weapons program to the British press in 1986. He was subsequently lured to Italy by a Mossad agent, where he was drugged and kidnapped by...
, as Rector of Glasgow University
Rector of Glasgow University
The Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow is one of the most senior posts within that institution, elected every three years by students. The role of the Rector is to represent students to the senior management of the University and raise issues which concern them...
and takes a keen interest in the welfare of students across the many further and higher institutions located in Glasgow Kelvin. She also campaigned against closures and downgrading (including a 1,600 signature petition) at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill and the Queen Mother's Hospital.
Since her election she has corresponded with almost 15,000 local people and has attended countless meeting across the constituency. Locally, she campaigns on the need for more affordable and social housing, more effective steps to increase recycling take-up and reduce energy usage, better regulation of public transport – specifically the bus industry, improvements to the Glasgow Subway, a more locally accountable planning system, standing up for and improving local sports facilities, creating a safer city centre and the extension of community protections to the West End, better regulation of housing in multiple occupation and supports the campaign to save and restore the Kelvingrove Park Bandstand.
She was awarded the Equality Network's Friend for Life award for her work in ensuring that the Civil Partnership Act 2004
Civil Partnership Act 2004
The Civil Partnership Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Bill for this Act was introduced by the Labour government and supported by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat opposition. The Act grants civil partnerships in the United Kingdom with rights and...
and Gender Recognition Act 2004
Gender Recognition Act 2004
The Gender Recognition Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that allows transsexual people to change their legal gender. It came into effect on 4 April 2005.-Operation of the law:...
legislation passed at the British Government level was compliant with existing Scottish legislation.
McNeill was a member of the following cross-party groups in the Scottish Parliament: Affordable Housing, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Human Rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, the Scottish Economy, Tobacco Control
Tobacco Control
Tobacco control is a field of public health science, policy and practice dedicated to controlling the growth of tobacco use and thereby reducing the morbidity and mortality it causes...
, Visual Impairment
Visual impairment
Visual impairment is vision loss to such a degree as to qualify as an additional support need through a significant limitation of visual capability resulting from either disease, trauma, or congenital or degenerative conditions that cannot be corrected by conventional means, such as refractive...
, Refugees and Asylum Seekers and Gaelic (Buidheann Thar Phartaidh na Gàidhlig).