James Kelly (Scottish politician)

James Kelly
MSP
Scottish Labour Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution
In office
19 December 2017 – 26 June 2018
Leader Richard Leonard
Preceded by Kezia Dugdale
Succeeded by Jackie Baillie (Finance, Economy and Fair Work)
Scottish Labour Parliamentary Business Manager
In office
16 December 2014 – 19 December 2017
Preceded by Paul Martin
Succeeded by Rhoda Grant
Scottish Labour Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities Strategy
In office
29 June 2013 – 16 December 2014
Preceded by Richard Baker
Succeeded by Mary Fee
Chief Whip of the Scottish Labour Party
In office
10 January 2012 – 28 June 2013
Preceded by John Park
Succeeded by Lewis Macdonald
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Glasgow
Assumed office
6 May 2016
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Rutherglen
Glasgow Rutherglen (2007-2011)
In office
3 May 2007 – 24 March 2016
Preceded by Janis Hughes
Succeeded by Clare Haughey
Personal details
Born James Anthony Kelly
(1963-10-23) 23 October 1963
Nationality British
Political party Labour Co-operative
Spouse(s) Alexa Kelly
Children 2
Occupation Computer Programmer/Analyst
Committees Finance and Constitution Committee

James Anthony Kelly (born 23 October 1963) is a Scottish Labour and Co-operative Member of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow and served as Labour's Shadow Finance Secretary from 2017 to 2018.[1]Following the reshuffle of the Second Sturgeon government in 2018, the positions of Finance and Economy were merged, with Jackie Baillie awarded additional shadow responsibilities for Finance, Economy and Fair Work.

Kelly has been a regional MSP since 2016,[2] having previously been the MSP for Glasgow Rutherglen (2007-2011), renamed Rutherglen (2011-2016).[3]

Richard Leonard named Kelly as his Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution in 2017.[4] Prior to this he held the position of Labour's Parliamentary Business Manager[5] and was the party's campaign manager for the 2016[6] and 2017 elections.[7]

Personal life

Kelly grew up in the Halfway area of Cambuslang, and was educated at Trinity High School[8] and Glasgow College of Technology (now Glasgow Caledonian University). He currently lives in Cambuslang with his wife, Alexa, and their two daughters.[9]

Kelly has a background in computing and finance, is a chartered accountant, and worked as a business analyst in East Kilbride prior to his election in 2007.[10] He has spoken about his interests in sport, namely football, tennis and running.[11]

He served as the election agent for the former Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP Tommy McAvoy at the 1997, 2001, and 2005 general elections. He was also Chair of the Rutherglen and Hamilton West Constituency Labour Party.[12]

Political career

Rutherglen constituency

Kelly stood was elected as MSP for Rutherglen in the 2007 and 2011 Holyrood elections, and as a list MSP for the Glasgow Region in 2016.[13][14][15]

While Kelly lost his Holyrood constituency seat to the SNP's Clare Haughey in 2016,[16] the incumbent MSP's majority of 3743 made it a target seat for Labour in the future. The equivalent Westminster seat Rutherglen and Hamilton West was won back by Labour's Gerard Killen in the 2017 UK general election, despite being one of the biggest swings towards the Nationalists two years prior.[17][18]

In Holyrood

Upon entering the Scottish Parliament in 2007, Kelly served on the Finance Committee and as a Labour Whip.[19]

He serves as the Convener of the Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Co-operatives and was the deputy Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Sport. From 2008-11, he was a member of the Justice Committee and Shadow Minister for Community Safety.[20]

Following the election of Johann Lamont as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Kelly was appointed Chief Whip in Holyrood. He was subsequently made Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities Strategies in a reshuffle in June 2013.[21]

After the election of Jim Murphy as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Kelly was appointed to succeed Paul Martin as Labour's Parliamentary Business Manager.[22]

Under Kezia Dugdale's leadership he remained Business Manager and in December 2014 was named as the party's election coordinator for the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.[23]

In December 2015, Kelly was ejected from the parliamentary debating chamber by presiding officer Tricia Marwick when he refused to sit down after attempting to make a point of order during a trade union bill debate.[24][25]

When Kezia Dugdale resigned as Scottish Labour leader in December 2017, Kelly's name was touted as a potential successor.[26]

In December 2017, Richard Leonard appointed Kelly as his Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution.[27]

Repeal of the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act

Following his re-election to the Scottish Parliament in May 2016, Kelly took forward his pledge to lead a member's bill to repeal the Offensive Behaviour at Football 2012 Act.[28]

Kelly has described the 2012 legislation as having "completely failed to tackle sectarianism" and as "illiberal" which "unfairly targets football fans", condemned by legal experts, human rights organisations and equality groups".[29][30]

On 25 January 2018, MSPs voted by 65 to 61 in favour of the general principles of Kelly's Bill in the first stage of Holyrood's legislative process. It marked the first binding defeat in Parliament for the SNP Minority Government.[31] On 15 March, the vote to repeal the Act was passed with 62 in favour and 60 against.[32]

References

  1. ↑ "Leonard unveils new Scottish Labour front bench team". BBC News. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  2. ↑ "Labour MSP James Kelly, who has called on Celtic to become a living wage employer, joins fight for list slots". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  3. ↑ "James Kelly MSP". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  4. ↑ Edwards, Peter. "New Scottish shadow cabinet in full". LabourList. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  5. ↑ "Kez unveils her new front bench team". Scottish Labour Party. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  6. ↑ "James Kelly MSP to lead Labour's election campaign for Scottish Government vote in 2016". Rutherglen Reformer.
  7. ↑ "Election 2017: Scottish Greens to stand fewer than 10 candidates". BBC News. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  8. ↑ Smith, Kenny (7 August 2010). "New Trinity High is officially opened". Daily Record / Rutherglen Reformer. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  9. ↑ "James Kelly MSP". Scottish Labour Party. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  10. ↑ "James Kelly Biography". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  11. ↑ Kelly, James. "James Kelly MSP on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  12. ↑ "In the spotlight: These are the names tipped to be the next Scottish Labour leader". CommonSpace. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  13. ↑ "2007 election results". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  14. ↑ "2011 Rutherglen election result". BBC News. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  15. ↑ "2016 Glasgow region election result". Glasgow City Council. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  16. ↑ "Scottish Parliament election 2016 constituency result: Rutherglen". The Scotsman. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  17. ↑ Kerr, Aiden (9 June 2017). "Labour gain first Scottish seat from SNP in election". STV Group. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  18. ↑ Spooner, Murray (9 June 2017). "Labour takes Rutherglen and Hamilton West". Daily Record / Rutherglen Reformer. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  19. ↑ "Finance Committee - membership". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  20. ↑ "James Kelly MSP". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  21. ↑ "Johann Lamont in Scottish Labour front bench shake-up". BBC News. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  22. ↑ "Jim Murphy reveals Scottish Labour shadow cabinet". www.scotsman.com. 16 December 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  23. ↑ "James Kelly MSP to lead Labour's election campaign for Scottish Government vote in 2016". Rutherglen Reformer. 26 December 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  24. ↑ "MSP ejected from chamber in row over union bill". BBC News. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  25. ↑ "Labour MSP thrown out of Scottish Parliament during a point of order spat with Presiding Officer". Daily Record. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  26. ↑ "In the spotlight: These are the names tipped to be the next Scottish Labour leader". CommonSpace. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  27. ↑ "Leonard unveils new Scottish Labour front bench team". BBC News. 19 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  28. ↑ "Labour MSP James Kelly will attempt to repeal anti-sectarian football legislation". Holyrood Magazine. 5 January 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  29. ↑ "Official Report - 25 January 2018". Scottish Parliament.
  30. ↑ Kelly, James. "Why the SNP must scrap the act". ScrapTheAct. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  31. ↑ "Football Act repeal bid passes first vote". BBC News. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  32. ↑ "MSPs vote to repeal football bigotry law". BBC News. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.

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