Martin O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of Clackmannan

Martin John O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of Clackmannan (born 6 January 1945) is a Scottish politician.

For the footballer, see Martin O'Neill.

The Right Honourable

The Lord O'Neill of Clackmannan
O'Neill in 2018
Chair of the Trade and Industry Select Committee
In office
27 November 1995 – 11 April 2005
Preceded byRichard Caborn
Succeeded byPeter Luff
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
In office
14 June 1988 – 18 July 1992
LeaderNeil Kinnock
Preceded byDenzil Davies
Succeeded byDavid Clark
Member of Parliament
for Ochil
Clackmannan (1983-1997)
Clackmannan and Eastern Stirlingshire (1979-1983)
In office
4 May 1979 – 11 April 2005
Preceded byGeorge Reid
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Personal details
Born (1945-01-06) 6 January 1945
NationalityScottish
Political partyLabour
Spouse(s)Elaine Marjorie Samuel (m. 1973)
Children2
OccupationPolitician

Early life and career

He was educated at Trinity Academy, Edinburgh, at the time a selective state school, and then Heriot Watt University, where he attained a BA in economics. After leaving university, he worked as an insurance clerk and then became active in the Scottish Union of Students, including serving as its president from 1970 until 1971.[1]

He married his wife Elaine Marjorie Samuel on 21 July 1973, with them going on to raise two sons together.[1]

Parliamentary career

After unsuccessfully contesting Edinburgh North in October 1974, he was a Labour Member of Parliament between 1979 and 2005, representing the Clackmannan and Eastern Stirlingshire, Clackmannan and Ochil seats successively. He was a shadow defence secretary and later was Chairman of the Trade and Industry select committee.

House of Lords

On 13 May 2005 it was announced that he would be created a life peer,[2] and on 14 June 2005 was created Baron O'Neill of Clackmannan, of Clackmannan in Clackmannanshire.[3]

Outside politics

He is a former Chairman of the Strategic Forum for Construction and the Nuclear Industry Association.[4]

He is a lifelong supporter of Hibernian F.C. and was a director of the club for a few years.

He is a patron of Humanists UK.[5] He was one of the fifty signatories to a letter published in The Guardian in 2010, which called for Pope Benedict XVI not to be given a state visit to the UK, and accused the Catholic Church of increasing the spread of AIDS and promoting segregated education.[6]

He received an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 2011.[7]

He is an honorary associate of the National Secular Society.[8]

References
  1. "BBC NEWS | VOTE 2001 | CANDIDATES". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  2. Tempest, Matthew; agencies (13 May 2005). "Labour becomes biggest party in Lords". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
  3. "No. 57677". The London Gazette. 17 June 2005. p. 7919.
  4. "Lord O'Neill of Clackmannan". Humanists UK. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  5. "Patrons". Humanists UK. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  6. Staff, Guardian (14 September 2010). "Letters: Harsh judgments on the pope and religion". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  7. "Heriot-Watt University Honorary Graduates, November 2011". Heriot-Watt University. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  8. "National Secular Society Honorary Associates". National Secular Society. Retrieved 5 June 2019
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
George Reid		 Member of Parliament for Clackmannan and Eastern Stirlingshire
1979–1983		 Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for Clackmannan
1983–1997		 Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for Ochil
1997–2005		 Constituency abolished
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