Andy Kerr

Infobox MSP
honorific-prefix =
name = Andy Kerr
honorific-suffix = MSP


imagesize = 150px
caption =
office = Minister for Health and Community Care
term_start = 6 October 2004
term_end = 16 May 2007
firstminister = Jack McConnell
predecessor = Malcolm Chisholm
successor = Nicola Sturgeon
(as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing)
constituency_MP2 = East Kilbride
parliament2 = Scottish
majority2 = 1,972 (5.5%)
term_start2 = 6 May 1999
term_end2 =
predecessor2 = "new constituency"
successor2 =
birth_date = Birth date and age|1962|3|17|df=yes
birth_place = East Kilbride, Scotland
death_date =
death_place =
birthname =
nationality =
party = Scottish Labour Party
spouse =
relations =
children =
residence =
alma_mater = Glasgow Caledonian University
occupation =
profession =
cabinet =
committees =
religion =


website =
footnotes =

Andy Kerr (born 17 March 1962, East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire) is a Labour Member of the Scottish Parliament for East Kilbride constituency, a seat which he has held since 1999.

In November 2006 he won the Scottish Politician of the Year award in recognition of his work to bring in the controversial smoking ban in public places. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/6156548.stm Deportation campaign wins award] , "BBC News", 17 November, 2006] Following the Scottish Labour Party's poor results in the 2007 election he was also thought of as a possible successor to Jack McConnell.

Biography

Kerr was educated at Claremont High School in East Kilbride and obtained a BA in Social Sciences at Glasgow College.

Prior to being elected to the Scottish Parliament, he was a senior officer in Glasgow City Council land services department and served as an adviser in the Leader's office. He was also founder and managing director of "Achieving", a quality assurance consultancy.

He was convener of the Scottish Parliament's Transport and Environment Committee and served on the Confederation of British Industry working group designed to bring Members of the Scottish Parliament(MSP) and business closer together as well as being on the cross-party group on ageing and the elderly.

Kerr is considered to be an ally of Motherwell and Wishaw MSP Jack McConnell, working with him on his two successive bids for the leadership of Scottish Labour and the position of First Minister. Upon Jack McConnell's election as First Minister the Scottish Executive underwent a rigorous cabinet reshuffle, allowing McConnell to assert his authority by axing potential rivals and award allies key posts.

Kerr was first appointed Minister for Finance and Public Services in the Scottish Executive in November 2001 and moved to become Minister for Health and Community Care in October 2004, replacing his embattled predecessor, Malcolm Chisolm. As Health Minister, Kerr oversaw massive and controversial NHS restructuring throughout Scotland.Fact|date=June 2007

He was also responsible for the Scottish ban on smoking in public areas which was introduced on March 26, 2006. Kerr retained the health portfolio in McConnell's shadow cabinet upon the Scottish National Party's victory at the Scottish Parliament Election, 2007.

Having ruled himself out of contention as a successor for Jack McConnell, Kerr voted for Wendy Alexander to become leader of the Scottish Labour Party. On September 17, 2007 he was appointed Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Public Services and Local Government. In 2008, he became the first Member of the Scottish Parliament receive a direct measure from the Procurator Fiscal over his failure to declare £2000 worth of hospitality from the fast food firm, McDonalds. With the illegal donation fiasco leading to Wendy Alexander's resignation as leader of the Labour Party in Scotland, Kerr stood for election as the next leader. However, following the victory of Iain Gray in the leadership election, Kerr was appointed Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth.

Kerr lives in Strathaven with his wife and three daughters.

References

External links

* [http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/membersPages/andy_kerr/index.htm Scottish Parliament biography]
* [http://www.scottishlabour.org.uk/east_kilbride Andy Kerr] Scottish Labour website
* [http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=462552007#new No butts, it's our liberty that's going up in smoke] Scotland on Sunday opinion piece on the effects of Scotland's smoking ban
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6491471.stm Ban 'helping smokers to give up'] BBC News
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