Gavin Strang

Gavin Steel Strang (born 10 July 1943) is a Scottish politician who served in the House of Commons for forty years (1970–2010), representing Edinburgh East in the Labour interest. He served as a minister in the 1974–79 government under Prime Ministers Harold Wilson and James Callaghan as well as in the Cabinet under Tony Blair. By the time of his retirement he was the longest-serving incumbent Scottish MP.

Early life

He was a farmer's son and grew up in Perthshire. He went to Morrison's Academy in Crieff. At the University of Edinburgh, he gained a BSc in Genetics^[1] in 1964. At Churchill College, Cambridge, he gained a Diploma in Agricultural Science (DipAgriSci). From the University of Edinburgh he gained a PhD in Agricultural Science. from 1966–68. He was a member of the Tayside Economic Planning Consultative Group. He was a scientist at the Agricultural and Food Research Council and Animal Breeding Research Organisation in Edinburgh from 1968–70.

Parliamentary career

In 1970, Labour MP George Willis, who had represented Edinburgh East since 1954, retired. Strang won Labour's endorsement and was elected to Parliament. Although Edinburgh was a Conservative stronghold in the 1970s and 1980s, Strang's seat was a Labour safe seat. He was first elected in 1970, and was re-elected in February 1974, October 1974, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2001, 2005. From 1997 to 2005 his seat was named Edinburgh East & Musselburgh

Strang was a minister under Harold Wilson and James Callaghan, serving as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy in 1974 and then at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food until 1979. In 1990 he was the last person to ask Margaret Thatcher a question at PMQ's, which he used to criticise her impact on communities and the poor during her time in office. He was Minister for Transport from 1997, with a seat in the Cabinet, but was sacked in 1998.

After becoming a backbencher Strang was sometimes critical of government policy. He campaigned against the privatisation of National Air Traffic Services, and on 31 October 2006, was one of 12 Labour MPs to back Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party's call for an inquiry into the Iraq War.^[2]

Strang was Chairman of the All-Party Group for World Government^[3] and on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. In November 2007 he announced he would stand down at the next general election,^[4] but later reversed the decision. On 27 June 2008, Strang again changed his mind and announced that he would indeed stand down at the next general election.^[5]

Personal life

He married Bettina in 1973. They have a son and he has two step sons. His wife has been the Chair of the UK arm of the Europa Donna medical organisation.^[6]

Notes

External links

• Gavin Strang MP official site
• Guardian Unlimited Politics – Ask Aristotle: Gavin Strang MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com – Gavin Strang MP
• BBC Politics
• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Gavin Strang

Blair Cabinet
Cabinet members	Douglas Alexander Baroness Amos Margaret Beckett Hilary Benn Tony Blair Hazel Blears David Blunkett Paul Boateng Gordon Brown Nick Brown Des Browne Stephen Byers David Clark Charles Clarke Robin Cook Jack Cunningham Alistair Darling Ron Davies Donald Dewar Frank Dobson Peter Hain Harriet Harman Patricia Hewitt Geoff Hoon John Hutton Lord Irvine Baroness Jay Alan Johnson Tessa Jowell Ruth Kelly Helen Liddell Lord Mandelson Ian McCartney Alun Michael Alan Milburn Paul Murphy Estelle Morris Mo Mowlam John Reid Lord Richard Lord Robertson Clare Short Andrew Smith Chris Smith Gavin Strang Jack Straw Ann Taylor Stephen Timms Lord Williams
Also attended meetings	HIlary Armstrong Lord Goldsmith David Miliband John Morris Jacqui Smith