 | 'I think the profession of politics, in my view, has been demeaned by the nature of the campaign.' Tam Dalyell, Labour MP for Linlithgow and Father of the House of Commons, 8 th June 2001. |  |
| 'I think the profession of politics, in my view, has been demeaned by the nature of the campaign.' Tam Dalyell, Labour MP for Linlithgow and Father of the House of Commons, 8 th June 2001. | |
Even if every person was to vote exactly the same way at the next general election as in May 2003, 13 MPs (10 Labour, one SNP, one Lib Dem and one Tory) would lose their seats due to the reduction in the number of Scottish constituencies at Westminster from 72 to 59.
A total of 13 of the 54 Labour MPs have announced that they will be retiring at the next Westminster election. They are:
| MP | Irene Adams |  |
|---|---|---|
| Party | Labour | |
| Constituency | Paisley North 29 th November 1990 (by) - 2005 | |
| Positions | ||
| Career in other parliaments | ||
| MP | Dr Lynda Clark QC |  |
| Party | Labour | |
| Constituency | Edinburgh Pentlands 1997 - 2005 | |
| Positions | Advocate General 20 th May 1999 - 2005 | |
| Career in other parliaments | ||
| MP | Sir Thomas (Tam) Dalyell of the Binns |  |
| Party | Labour | |
| Constituency | West Lothian June 1962 (by)- 1983 Linlithgow 1983 - 2005 | |
| Positions | Father of the House of Commons 2001 - 2005 | |
| Career in other parliaments | Labour representative Member of the European Parliament 1975 - 1979 | |
| MP | George Galloway |  |
| Party | Independent Labour | |
| Constituency | Labour MP for Glasgow Hillhead 1987 - 1997 Labour MP for Glasgow Kelvin 1997 - 2003 Independent Labour MP for Glasgow Kelvin 2003 Respect MP for Glasgow Kelvin 2003 - 2005 | |
| Positions | ||
| Career in other parliaments | ||
| MP | Rt Hon George Foulkes |  |
| Party | Labour | |
| Constituency | South Ayrshire 1979 - 1983 Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley 1983 - 2005 | |
| Positions | Parliamentary Under Secretary
of State for International Development 2 nd May 1997 - 25 th January 2001 Deputy Secretary of State for Scotland 25 th January 2001 - 29 th May 2002 | |
| Career in other parliaments | ||
| MP | Sir Archy Kirkwood |  |
| Party | Lib Dem | |
| Constituency | Lib Dem MP for Roxburgh & Berwickshire 1983 - 2005 | |
| Positions | ||
| Career in other parliaments | ||
| MP | Rt Hon Helen Liddell |  |
| Party | Labour | |
| Constituency | Monklands East June (by) 1994 - 1997 Airdrie & Shotts 1997 - 2005 | |
| Positions | Treasury Economic Secretary 2 nd May 1997 - 28 th July 1998 Deputy Secretary of State for Scotland 28 th July 1998 -17 th May 1999 Minister of State for Transport 17 th May 1999 - 29 th July 1999 Minister of State for Trade & Industry 29 th July 1999 - 24 th January 2001 Secretary of State for Scotland 24 th January 2001- 12 th June 2003 | |
| Career in other parliaments | ||
| MP | Dr Lewis Moonie |  |
| Party | Labour | |
| Constituency | Kirkcaldy 1987 - 2005 | |
| Positions | Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defence 31 st January 2000 - 12 th June 2003 | |
| Career in other parliaments | ||
| MP | Martin O'Neill |  |
| Party | Labour | |
| Constituency | Clackmannan & East Stirlingshire 1979 - 1983 Clackmannan 1983 - 1997 Ochil 1997 - 2005 | |
| Positions | ||
| Career in other parliaments | ||
| MP | Ernie Ross |  |
| Party | Labour | |
| Constituency | Dundee West 1979 - 2005 | |
| Positions | ||
| Career in other parliaments | ||
| MP | Malcolm Savidge |  |
| Party | Labour | |
| Constituency | Aberdeen North 1997 - 2005 | |
| Positions | ||
| Career in other parliaments | ||
| MP | Bill Tynan |  |
| Party | Labour | |
| Constituency | Hamilton South 23 September 1999 (by) - 2005 | |
| Positions | ||
| Career in other parliaments | ||
| MP | Rt Hon Brian Wilson |  |
| Party | Labour | |
| Constituency | Cunninghame North 1987 - 2005 | |
| Positions | Minister of State, (Scottish Office) 2 nd May 1997 - 28 th July 1998 Minister of State (Department of Trade & Industry) 28 th July 1998 - 29 th July 1999 Deputy Secretary of State for Scotland 29 th July 1999 - 24 th January 2001 Minister of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office 24 th January 2001 - 11 th June 2001 Minister of State, (Department of Trade & Industry 11 th June 2001 - 12 th June 2003. | |
| Career in other parliaments | ||
| MP | Anthony Worthington |  |
| Party | Labour | |
| Constituency | Clydebank & Milngavie 1987 - 2005 | |
| Positions | Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Education, Training &: Employment, Health & Community Relations (Northern Ireland Office) 2 nd May 1997 - 29 th July 1998 | |
| Career in other parliaments | ||
| MP | James Wray |  |
| Party | Labour | |
| Constituency | Glasgow Provan 1987 - 1997 Glasgow Baillieston 1997 - 2005 | |
| Positions | ||
| Career in other parliaments | ||
| MP | Sir Teddy Taylor |  |
|---|---|---|
| Party | Conservative & Unionist | |
| Constituency | Glasgow Cathcart 1964 - 1979 Southend East 1980 - 1997 Rochford & Southend East 1997 - 2005 | |
| Positions | Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland 19 th June 1970 - 28 th July 1971 Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland 8 th January 1974 - 28 th February 1974 | |
| Career in other parliaments | ||
TAM Dalyell, Britain's longest-serving MP, has decided to retire from parliament at the next general election after 40 years in the House of Commons.
The 71-year-old Labour MP for Linlithgow and the father of the House - who has informed local constituency members of
his decision - was unavailable for comment last night, but Brian Fairley, his agent of 12 years, paid warm tribute to the
MP once dubbed "the great back bencher".
He said: "Tam is a remarkable figure locally and nationally. Anyone who has worked with him at election time will
appreciate the high regard the people of West Lothian and the Linlithgow constituency have for Tam."
It seems part of Mr Dalyell's decision was predicated on the fact of the constituency boundaries shake-up caused by the
proposed reduction in the number of Scottish MPs, under which his seat disappears.
"It's appropriate that the constituency is retiring along with Tam," added Mr Fairley, whose father Archie was the MP's
agent from 1964 to 1984.
Through the years, Mr Dalyell has been the bane of his party whips, once boasting: "I'm Ancient Labour. I want nothing
from the party leadership, so they cannot control me." The result has been an independence of mind. One commentator
once noted: "Tam is unembarrassable. Although members sometimes groan when he gets up to speak, they understand
perfectly what he is trying to do and most of them respect him."
Often spotted with his comfort cushion, the father of the House sits midway up the back benches in an aisle seat.
His interventions at prime minister's question time and his points of order to the speaker often cause a deal of unease for
ministers.
Mr Dalyell's campaigns over four decades have covered his attempts to kill off plans for Scottish devolution in the 1970s
and 1990s, his upbraiding of Margaret Thatcher over the sinking of the Belgrano, depicting her as a liar over the Westland
affair, forecasting ecological disaster in the Gulf war and berating Tony Blair over the impact of the war in Iraq, and trying
to exculpate Colonel Gaddafi over the Lockerbie atrocity.
More recently, as the prime minister suffers a reduction of his mighty majority and relies on his Scottish colleagues, Mr
Dalyell's famous West Lothian question Ð why should Scots MPs be able to vote on English matters when English MPs
cannot vote on Scottish ones Ð is being asked more and more, particularly by the Tories.
A descendant of General "Bluidy Tam" Dalyell, a 17th- century soldier of fortune, who pursued Scottish Covenanters, Mr
Dalyell is the only child of the late Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Dalyell of the Indian civil service.
Educated at Edinburgh Academy, Eton and Cambridge University, he did his national service as a trooper in the Royal
Scots Greys.
He was a history and maths teacher before winning the West Lothian seat in 1962 at a by-election, a victory which
precipitated Harold Macmillan's "night of the long knives" because the Tory vote was reduced by 70%.
A parliamentary aide to Dick Crossman, Labour's secretary of state for social services, in the 1960s, Mr Dalyell was
vice-chairman of the parliamentary Labour party in the mid-1970s and was on the party's ruling executive in the
mid-1980s. In the late 1970s, he was an MEP.
The father-of-two, who lives with his wife Kathleen in a 17th-century mansion, is the author of numerous books covering
such subjects as the Falklands war, devolution, science and Mr Crossman. Awarded three honorary doctorates, he is
currently rector of Edinburgh University.
MARTIN O'Neill has become the latest Scottish Labour MP to announce his retirement from frontline politics, joining an exodus of MPs eager to avoid the scramble for fewer seats at the next election.
Mr O'Neill, the MP for Ochil, told his constituency party over the weekend that he would not be contesting the seat at the next election.
He joins a growing band of Labour MPs who have decided to quit Westminster at the next election, which includes George Foulkes (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley), Tony Worthington (Clydebank and Milngavie), Lewis Moonie (Kirkcaldy) and Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow).
The Boundary Commission review of Scottish parliamentary constitutions has precipitated the exodus.
The commission recommended a reduction of Scottish seats from 72 to 59 which will mean the loss of a number of Labour MPs.
Some MPs were left with the hard choice of staying in politics and fighting their colleagues for redrawn seats or standing down. Others, like Mr Dalyell, have simply decided to retire because of age.
MPs had until Saturday to inform the party whether they intended to contest their seats.
Party managers want to sort out the confusion caused by the boundary commission's review as soon as possible.
And with the next election probably only 16 months away, they want as much time as possible to sort out who is going to stand in which of the redrawn seats and who will have to fight it out with other contenders.
Mr O'Neill, aged 59, has been one of the most influential back-benchers in the Commons, principally because of his work as chairman of the Trade and Industry Select Committee.
He has been an MP since 1979 and although he secured a comfortable 4,652 majority in 2001, the SNP won his Ochil seat at the Scottish Parliament elections last year and are likely to target the constituency again next year.
Mr O'Neill said: "After 25 years as a Member of Parliament, I have informed my constituency party that I will not be standing at the next general election.
"I have participated in five contests since I won the seat from the Scottish Nationalists in 1979, and following the last election my wife and I decided that after six in a row it was time to go."
Mr Foulkes, who announced last month that he was standing down, said: "We had to tell the Labour Party in London by Saturday whether we were continuing or not.
"It's the right time because of the boundary changes - if 13 of us don't stand aside, there would be Labour members standing against each other. So some of us have decided to make it easier for our younger colleagues so they have the opportunity to continue."
Mr Foulkes is likely to be replaced by either Des Browne, a work and pensions minister, or Sandra Osborne, MP for Ayr - a seat held by the Tories in Holyrood. She may survive the cull because of her party's enthusiasm for more women MPs.
Falkirk's two seats are being merged into one and the victor is likely to be Eric Joyce, the MP for Falkirk East.
Michael Connarty, from Falkirk West, is positioning himself to replace Mr Dalyell in Linlithgow.
Mr Dalyell's constituency party prides itself on its independence of spirit, and Mr Connarty's recent record in attacking Tony Blair's government has been seen as preening himself as the new Mr Dalyell.
The abolition of Edinburgh Central has left Alistair Darling, the transport secretary, without a seat. He is expected to make a deal with Lynda Clark, the low-profile MP for Edinburgh Pentlands, to take over her seat but there has been no confirmation of this yet.
The fate of John Reid, the Health Secretary, is still to be decided. He may have to take on Helen Liddell, the former Scotland Secretary, for survival in the Airdrie and Motherwell area.
Helen Liddell is being lined up to be the next British high commissioner to Australia, says the government.
The ex-Scottish secretary and Labour MP will get the job if Labour win the next general election tipped for 2005.
Tony Blair said Ms Liddell would be "an outstanding high commissioner to Australia".
She left the government in last June's Cabinet reshuffle saying she wanted to spend more time with her husband, family and friends.
The post of Scottish secretary was given to Alistair Darling who is also transport secretary.
Responding to the announcement Ms Liddell said she was "delighted".
"It is many years since a Labour politician was appointed to a diplomatic post and I am honoured that I should have been chosen," she said in a statement.
"Australia is a wonderful place, and although I will miss this country, I and my family have been offered the chance of a wonderful experience."
'Friend'
In his statement, Mr Blair said: "I have known and worked with Helen Liddell for many years - she has been a valued colleague and a good friend.
"She has had a long and successful career in both politics and business and will make an outstanding high commissioner to Australia.
"The friendship between Britain and Australia is very important to both countries.
"Alastair Goodlad, the current High Commissioner, is doing an excellent job and I am delighted that we have found such a high calibre of person to succeed him when he finishes his term of office.
"Helen will bring to the post a great deal of valuable experience at the highest level and will, I am sure, be a great success."
In order to take up her post, Ms Liddell will have to stand down from Parliament at the next election.
'Illustrious'
Fellow Scot, Health Secretary John Reid said Ms Liddell had been a "great servant" to the people of her Airdrie and Shotts constituency.
He added: "She has made a marvellous contribution to the Labour Party, the government and her country.
"She was the first ever female general secretary of the Scottish Labour Party and served right through to becoming the first ever female Secretary of State for her country.
"That is testimony to her success.
"Her appointment as the next British High Commissioner to Australia marks an exciting new stage in her illustrious career."
'Happy'
Friday's announcement could fuel speculation about a future job for fellow Labour MP and ex-Cabinet minister Peter Mandelson.
His name had also been touted as a possible replacement to Sir Alastair Goodlad - the current high commissioner.
There has also been speculation about Mr Mandelson becoming a European commissioner.
He was asked if he was being considered for that job during a radio interview to which he replied: "Not that I know of".
"I know that there is the usual speculation and tittle-tattle in the newspapers that passes for journalism in today's media, but I am very happy as I am, thank you, and I see absolutely no reason why you or anyone else should want to pack me off to Brussels."
Scottish Secretary Alistair Darling will fight the Edinburgh South West seat for Labour at the next general election, it has been announced.
The decision was made by the local Labour party, which said that all of its branches supported Mr Darling in a ballot.
Mr Darling's current constituency, Edinburgh Central, is disappearing under the new boundary changes.
Scottish seats at Westminster are being reduced from 72 to 59.
Dr Lynda Clark announced her intention to stand down from her Edinburgh Pentlands seat at the next election.
Economic stability
This was viewed as giving Mr Darling a clear run, as the new Edinburgh South West seat includes the largest part of Edinburgh Central and much of Pentlands.
Speaking after Thursday night's selection, Mr Darling said: "I am delighted to receive the endorsement of this new constituency party as Labour candidate.
"We do not know when the general election will come, but when it does Labour has a record we can fight on."
He said Edinburgh had built success on the economic stability of the past seven years, with low inflation and low mortgage rates.
"When I first became an MP many of our young people faced the prospect of years of unemployment. That has changed," said Mr Darling.
"But we have to protect that economic stability and continue to invest in our future."
GEORGE Galloway, who hopes to become an MEP for London after today's European poll, is
already considering his next challenge: trying to unseat Jack Straw at the next general election.
The disclosure by the Glasgow Kelvin MP came as the final day of election campaigning was
overshadowed by claims of fraud and vote-rigging in the all-postal ballots in four areas of England.
The possibility of Mr Galloway standing against the foreign secretary would form the centrepiece of a
high-profile strategy by the anti-war Respect party to oust a number of cabinet ministers, including
Mr Straw, Patricia Hewitt, the trade secretary, Geoff Hoon, the defence secretary, and Hilary Benn,
the international development secretary, all of whom have seats with significantly high numbers of
Muslim voters.
Mr Galloway, kicked out of the Labour party because of his outspoken remarks on Iraq, last week
announced he would not be fighting his Scottish seat at the next general election, saying that he did
not want to oppose Mohammed Sarwar, Britain's first Muslim MP, for the redrawn seat of Glasgow
Central.
He said it was "very likely" he would stand against Mr Straw in Blackburn. "He has a very exposed
position over the war and we are very strong there. Blackburn has 20,000 Muslim voters."
Mr Straw's majority in Blackburn is 9249, Ms Hewitt's in Leicester West is 9639, Mr Hoon's in
Ashfield near Nottingham is 13,268, and Mr Benn's in Leeds Central is 14,381.
Mr Galloway said: "We might not win the seats ourselves, but we could ensure they lose them."
Respect is already drawing up plans to fight the forthcoming Westminster by-election in Leicester
South (maj 13,243) following the death of Labour's James Marshall.
The fledgling party's main platform is against the Iraq war and for an end to the allied presence, but it
also has a raft of left-wing policies: from bringing public services back into public ownership, to
restoring the pensions link to average earnings.
The party has not stood in Scotland, having signed up to what one Respect aide de-scribed as "a
non-aggression pact" with the Scottish Socialists, although Mr Galloway admitted he had not ruled
out standing for Holyrood at some point in the future.
Elsewhere, on the eve of today's "Super Thursday" poll for Europe, English councils, and the
London mayor, police in Lancashire, Greater Manchester, and West Yorkshire said they were
investigating allegations of malpractice, including claims that ballot papers had been collected by party
activists going door to door.
In the Commons, John Prescott claimed the all-postal experiment had been a success, saying
politicians should celebrate the fact that a million more people had voted so far. However, Michael
Ancram, the Tory deputy leader, accused the deputy prime minister of "breathtaking complacency"
and claimed the all-postal ballots had descended into "chaos".
Last night, the Electoral Commission, the elections watchdog, announced it would be investigating
the claims of malpractice.
As the polls go ahead, the growing expectation is Tony Blair will receive a bloody nose over Iraq,
with support largely transferring to the anti-war Liberal Democrats. It is also anticipated Michael
Howard will receive a similar drubbing at the hands of the UK Independence party.
BRIAN Wilson, Labour MP for Cunninghame North and former minister of state, is to quit the House of Commons at the next general election.
Mr Wilson, an MP since 1987, and now Tony Blair's special representative on the reconstruction of Iraq, said he was standing down for purely personal reasons.
In an interview with The Herald, he said: "I have been in Cunninghame North as candidate and MP for 20 years and my personal circumstances have changed a great deal in that time.
"I've never thought of politics as a lifetime career. Westminster is littered with people who have stayed around far too long, and by the time they leave, are too old to do anything else."
At the moment, he advises three small renewable energy companies in Scotland, but has no particular plans for the future. He ruled out any possibility of going to the House of Lords. "When I stood down as a minister last year the possibility was raised. If I waver on that give me an injection."
Mr Wilson was appointed minister of state in the Scottish Office immediately after Labour won the 1997 general election.
Post-devolution he held ministerial posts in the Scotland Office, Foreign Office, and Department of Trade and Industry, and until he resigned last year, he held the energy and industry portfolios.
Founding editor and publisher of the West Highland Free Press and the author of Celtic: a Century with Honour, he was the first winner of the Nicholas Tomalin Memorial Award for outstanding journalism and was also a regular contributor to The Herald, the Guardian and numerous other publications.
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