Andy Kerr

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This article is about the Scottish politician. For the football and basketball coach, see Andrew Kerr.

Andy Kerr MSP

Minister for Health and Community Care
In office 6 October 2004 – 16 May 2007
Preceded by	Malcolm Chisholm
Succeeded by	Nicola Sturgeon (as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing)
Member of the Scottish Parliament for East Kilbride
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 May 1999
Preceded by	new constituency
Majority	1,972 (5.5%)

Born	17 March 1962 (1962-03-17) (age 46) Kilmarnock, Scotland
Political party	Scottish Labour

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.^[1] Following the Scottish Labour Party's poor results in the 2007 election he was also thought of as a possible successor to Jack McConnell.

[edit] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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. With the illegal donation fiasco surrounding Wendy Alexander, Kerr has been tipped as the next Scottish Labour Party leader should Alexander be forced to resign.

Kerr lives in Strathaven with his wife and three daughters.

[edit] References

^ "Kerr and island campaign win top awards", The Herald, 17 November, 2006

[edit] External links

Scottish Parliament
Preceded by Constituency Created	Member of the Scottish Parliament for East Kilbride 1999 – present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Malcolm Chisholm	Minister for Health and Community Care 2004–2007	Succeeded by Nicola Sturgeon (as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing)
Preceded by Angus MacKay	Minister for Finance and Public Services 2001–2004	Succeeded by Tom McCabe