Rosie Kane
Encyclopedia
Rosemary "Rosie" Kane (born on 5 June 1961 in Glasgow
) is a Scottish Socialist Party
politician, and former Member of the Scottish Parliament
for the Glasgow Region
.
She entered politics after becoming involved in a campaign against the extension of the M77 motorway
. In 1996 she was the first ever candidate of the newly formed Scottish Socialist Alliance when she contested a Glasgow City Council by-election
in the Toryglen ward, an area threatened by the M74 extension plan, and came third with 18%. After this she was an election candidate a number of times for the Scottish Socialist Alliance and its successor the Scottish Socialist Party
. She served on the National Executive committee of the party for a number of years and as the party's environmental spokesperson, writing a column "One World" for the Scottish Socialist Voice
.
Kane stood for election to the Scottish Parliament in 2003, and was placed second on the party's list in Glasgow region. She was elected alongside Tommy Sheridan
, who was first on the list. In her victory speech, she stated how she planned to shake up the Parliament, stating "They're going to be amazed at all the madness and craziness that's going to happen in there".
MSPs are required to swear an oath of allegiance
to the Queen
before they can take their seat in Parliament. As the Scottish Socialist Party is a republican
party, their MSPs held various protests during the oath ceremony, during which Kane took her oath with her hand raised which had the words "My oath is to the people" written on it.
She stood as the no. 1 candidate for her party on the Glasgow regional list for the Scottish Parliament election, 2007
. The SSP polled 2,579 votes in the Glasgow region and failed to gain re-election.
asylum detention centre, as well as campaigns for migrants rights and against dawn raid
s. She personally paid the bail for a Cameroon
ian woman called Mercy Ikolo and her Ireland-born 18 month old baby to allow them to leave the centre, inviting them to stay with her and her daughters in their tenement flat until their visa issues were resolved.
In 2005 Kane accepted an invitation to meet Fidel Castro
at a conference in Cuba
. Later that year she caused controversy when she took part in an anti-nuclear protest, locking herself to a model nuclear submarine
outside the Scottish parliament. She was fined £150 for the demonstration, and was imprisoned in Cornton Vale for 14 days in October 2006 for refusing to pay the fine. In January 2007 she was arrested but not charged for taking part in a peaceful anti-nuclear
demonstration at Faslane, as part of the Faslane 365 campaign.
In June 2005, along with fellow socialist MSPs Carolyn Leckie
, Frances Curran and Colin Fox
, she was suspended from the Scottish Parliament for the month of September for disrupting parliamentary proceedings in a peaceful protest in the chamber. They were highlighting the issue of the right to protest outside the Gleneagles Hotel
, the site of the 31st G8 summit
.
She has also campaigned against the treatment of toxic waste
in South East Glasgow, against water fluoridation and against GM crops
.
She is also a member of the Industrial Workers of the World
(Wobblies).
. She returned to work early in 2004.
She had a regular column "Rosie Kane" in the Sunday Mail
until 6 May 2007.
She was one of several SSP members who were witnesses in Sheridan v News International
and HM Advocate v Sheridan and Sheridan
.
She had her first grandchild in February 2011.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
) is a Scottish Socialist Party
Scottish Socialist Party
The Scottish Socialist Party is a left-wing Scottish political party. Positioning itself significantly to the left of Scotland's centre-left parties, the SSP campaigns on a socialist economic platform and for Scottish independence....
politician, and former 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:...
for the Glasgow Region
Glasgow (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
Glasgow is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament , which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
.
She entered politics after becoming involved in a campaign against the extension of the M77 motorway
M77 motorway
The M77 motorway is a motorway in Scotland. It originally began in southern Glasgow at the M8 motorway at Kinning park, and terminates near Kilmarnock at the village of Fenwick. However, changes were made in autumn 2005 segregating a lane on the M8 motorway almost as far as the Kingston Bridge,...
. In 1996 she was the first ever candidate of the newly formed Scottish Socialist Alliance when she contested a Glasgow City Council 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 the Toryglen ward, an area threatened by the M74 extension plan, and came third with 18%. After this she was an election candidate a number of times for the Scottish Socialist Alliance and its successor the Scottish Socialist Party
Scottish Socialist Party
The Scottish Socialist Party is a left-wing Scottish political party. Positioning itself significantly to the left of Scotland's centre-left parties, the SSP campaigns on a socialist economic platform and for Scottish independence....
. She served on the National Executive committee of the party for a number of years and as the party's environmental spokesperson, writing a column "One World" for the Scottish Socialist Voice
Scottish Socialist Voice
The Scottish Socialist Voice is a Scottish political newspaper, published by the Scottish Socialist Party. Established in November 1996, it was previously the paper of Scottish Militant Labour, before being handed over to the SSP when it was formed in 1998.-History:It was first edited by Alan...
.
Kane stood for election to the Scottish Parliament in 2003, and was placed second on the party's list in Glasgow region. She was elected alongside Tommy Sheridan
Tommy Sheridan
Tommy Sheridan is a Scottish socialist politician. He has had various prominent roles within the socialist movement in Scotland and is currently one of two co-convenors of the left-wing Scottish political party Solidarity....
, who was first on the list. In her victory speech, she stated how she planned to shake up the Parliament, stating "They're going to be amazed at all the madness and craziness that's going to happen in there".
MSPs are required to swear an oath of allegiance
Oath of allegiance
An oath of allegiance is an oath whereby a subject or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance and swears loyalty to monarch or country. In republics, modern oaths specify allegiance to the country's constitution. For example, officials in the United States, a republic, take an oath of office that...
to the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
before they can take their seat in Parliament. As the Scottish Socialist Party is a republican
Republicanism in the United Kingdom
Republicanism in the United Kingdom is the movement which seeks to remove the British monarchy and replace it with a republic that has a non-hereditary head of state...
party, their MSPs held various protests during the oath ceremony, during which Kane took her oath with her hand raised which had the words "My oath is to the people" written on it.
She stood as the no. 1 candidate for her party on the Glasgow regional list for the Scottish Parliament election, 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...
. The SSP polled 2,579 votes in the Glasgow region and failed to gain re-election.
Campaigning
Kane is active in the fight to end the detention of children at DungavelDungavel
Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre is an immigration detention facility in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, near the town of Strathaven that is also known as Dungavel Castle or Dungavel House...
asylum detention centre, as well as campaigns for migrants rights and against dawn raid
Dawn raid
A police raid or dawn raid is a visit by the police, immigration officers or other officials in the early morning, hoping to use the element of surprise to arrest targets that they think may hide evidence, resist arrest, be politically sensitive, or simply be elsewhere during the day.-Germany:Dawn...
s. She personally paid the bail for a Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
ian woman called Mercy Ikolo and her Ireland-born 18 month old baby to allow them to leave the centre, inviting them to stay with her and her daughters in their tenement flat until their visa issues were resolved.
In 2005 Kane accepted an invitation to meet Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
at a conference in 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...
. Later that year she caused controversy when she took part in an anti-nuclear protest, locking herself to a model nuclear submarine
Nuclear submarine
A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor . The performance advantages of nuclear submarines over "conventional" submarines are considerable: nuclear propulsion, being completely independent of air, frees the submarine from the need to surface frequently, as is necessary for...
outside the Scottish parliament. She was fined £150 for the demonstration, and was imprisoned in Cornton Vale for 14 days in October 2006 for refusing to pay the fine. In January 2007 she was arrested but not charged for taking part in a peaceful anti-nuclear
Anti-nuclear
The anti-nuclear movement is a social movement that opposes the use of nuclear technologies. Many direct action groups, environmental groups, and professional organisations have identified themselves with the movement at the local, national, and international level...
demonstration at Faslane, as part of the Faslane 365 campaign.
In June 2005, along with fellow socialist MSPs Carolyn Leckie
Carolyn Leckie
Carolyn Leckie is a Scottish Socialist Party politician, a former co-chair of the party, and former member of the Scottish Parliament....
, Frances Curran and Colin Fox
Colin Fox
Colin Fox is the national spokesperson of the Scottish Socialist Party, and a former member for Lothian in the Scottish Parliament...
, she was suspended from the Scottish Parliament for the month of September for disrupting parliamentary proceedings in a peaceful protest in the chamber. They were highlighting the issue of the right to protest outside the Gleneagles Hotel
Gleneagles Hotel
The Gleneagles Hotel is a luxury hotel near Auchterarder, Perth and Kinross, Scotland.- History :The hotel was built by the former Caledonian Railway Company and opened in 1924, originally with its own railway station...
, the site of the 31st G8 summit
31st G8 summit
The 31st G8 summit was held from July 6 to July 8, 2005 at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland, United Kingdom and hosted by British Prime Minister Tony Blair...
.
She has also campaigned against the treatment of toxic waste
Toxic waste
Toxic waste is waste material that can cause death or injury to living creatures. It spreads quite easily and can contaminate lakes and rivers. The term is often used interchangeably with “hazardous waste”, or discarded material that can pose a long-term risk to health or environment.Toxic waste...
in South East Glasgow, against water fluoridation and against GM crops
Genetically modified food
Genetically modified foods are foods derived from genetically modified organisms . Genetically modified organisms have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering techniques...
.
She is also a member of the Industrial Workers of the World
Industrial Workers of the World
The Industrial Workers of the World is an international union. At its peak in 1923, the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. Its membership declined dramatically after a 1924 split brought on by internal conflict...
(Wobblies).
Other information
In late 2003 she announced that she was taking a short break from politics to deal with clinical depressionClinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
. She returned to work early in 2004.
She had a regular column "Rosie Kane" in the Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail (Scotland)
The Sunday Mail is a Scottish tabloid newspaper published every Sunday. It is the sister paper of the Daily Record and is owned by Trinity Mirror and as such has a left-wing outlook which in turn tends to guide Scottish political debate in that direction.The Sunday Mail is read by over one million...
until 6 May 2007.
She was one of several SSP members who were witnesses in Sheridan v News International
Sheridan v News International
Sheridan v News Group Newspapers is a civil court case brought by Tommy Sheridan against the publishers of the News of the World, which began in the Court of Session in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 4 July 2006...
and HM Advocate v Sheridan and Sheridan
HM Advocate v Sheridan and Sheridan
Her Majesty's Advocate v Thomas Sheridan and Gail Sheridan was the 2010 criminal prosecution of Tommy Sheridan, a former Member of the Scottish Parliament and his wife Gail Sheridan for perjury in relation to the earlier civil case Sheridan v News Group Newspapers.In Scotland criminal prosecutions...
.
She had her first grandchild in February 2011.