Rhona Brankin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rhona Brankin (born 19 January 1950) a Labour Co-operative politician and was first elected to represent Midlothian in the Scottish Parliament in 1999 and was re-elected in 2003 and 2007.

Brankin is a graduate of the University of Aberdeen and before entering the Scottish Parliament she was a teacher and a lecturer on special educational needs. She was former chair of the Scottish Labour Party. She is married with two grown-up daughters.

Brankin was Deputy Minister for Culture and Sport in the Scottish Executive from 1999-2000 and Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development from 2000-2001. In October 2004 she was appointed Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care, returning to the Environment and Rural Development portfolio in June 2005.

In January 2007 she was promoted to Minister for Communities after the resignation of Malcolm Chisholm.

Following Labour's defeat at the hands of the SNP at the May 2007 election, Brankin became shadow Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning.

[edit] External links

• Scottish Parliament biography
• Constituency website
• Rhona Brankin MSP Biography at Scottish Executive website

Scottish Parliament
Preceded by Constituency Created	Member of the Scottish Parliament for Midlothian 1999 – present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Malcolm Chisholm	Minister for Communities 2007	Succeeded by Stewart Maxwell as Minister for Communities and Sport
Preceded by Lewis Macdonald	Deputy Minister for the Environment and Rural Development 2005-2007	Succeeded by Sarah Boyack
Preceded by Tom McCabe	Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care 2004-2005	Succeeded by Lewis Macdonald
Preceded by John Home Robertson	Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development 2000-2001	Succeeded by Allan Wilson
Preceded by Office Created	Deputy Minister for Culture and Sport 1999-2000	Succeeded by Allan Wilson

Rhona Brankin
v • d • e Members of the Scottish Parliament in the Lothians region Elected in the 2007 election Labour (5 seats), SNP (5 seats), Conservative (2 seats), Lib Dems, (2 seats), Greens (1 seat), Independent (1 seat) Constituency MSPs Sarah Boyack (Lab, Edinburgh Central) • Kenny MacAskill (SNP, Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) • Malcolm Chisholm (Lab, Edinburgh North and Leith) • David McLetchie (Con, Edinburgh Pentlands) • Mike Pringle (Lib Dem, Edinburgh South) • Margaret Smith (Lib Dem, Edinburgh West) • Mary Mulligan (Lab, Linlithgow) • Angela Constance (SNP, Livingston) • Rhona Brankin (Lab, Midlothian) Additional Members Gavin Brown (Con) • George Foulkes (Lab) • Robin Harper (Green) • Fiona Hyslop (SNP) • Margo MacDonald (Ind) • Ian McKee (SNP) • Shirley-Anne Somerville (SNP) v • d • e Scottish Labour MSPs Elected in the 2007 election Wendy Alexander · Jackie Baillie · Claire Baker · Richard Baker · Sarah Boyack · Rhona Brankin · Bill Butler · Malcolm Chisholm · Cathie Craigie · Margaret Curran · Helen Eadie · Patricia Ferguson · George Foulkes · Karen Gillon · Marlyn Glen · Trish Godman · Charlie Gordon · Rhoda Grant · Iain Gray · Hugh Henry · Cathy Jamieson · James Kelly · Andy Kerr · Johann Lamont · Marilyn Livingstone · Lewis Macdonald · Ken Macintosh · Paul Martin · Frank McAveety · Tom McCabe · Jack McConnell · Michael McMahon · Duncan McNeil · Pauline McNeill · Des McNulty · Mary Mulligan · Elaine Murray · Irene Oldfather · John Park · Peter Peacock · Cathy Peattie · Richard Simpson · Elaine Smith · David Stewart · Karen Whitefield · David Whitton