Sandra Osborne
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sandra Osborne MP | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1 May 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Phil Gallie |
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| Born | 23 February 1956 Paisley, Renfrewshire |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Political party | Labour |
Sandra Currie Osborne, née Clark (born 23 February 1956, Paisley, Renfrewshire) is the Labour Member of Parliament for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock in Scotland. She was first elected in 1997, and resigned from a government job in 2003 over the Iraq War. She is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
[edit] Family
The second eldest of a family of five, Sandra Osborne is married to Alastair Osborne who was a candidate in the same Ayr constituency in 1992 that Mrs Osborne won 1997. They have two daughters and a granddaughter and live in Symington, Ayrshire. Sandra was educated in Paisley and after attending night classes went on to Jordanhill College where she gained the Diploma in Community Education. After working as a community worker in Glasgow she moved to Ayrshire where she spent 14 years as a counsellor with Kilmarnock Women's Aid. After studying two years part time at Strathclyde University she graduated Master of Science in Equality and Discrimination.
In 1997 she was one of the shortlisted finalists in the Scottish Woman of the Year Award (Glasgow Evening Times) - nominated for her work with abused women.
[edit] Political career
Sandra Osborne was the councillor for Whitletts on Kyle and Carrick District Council and South Ayrshire Council where she also served as Convener of Community Services (Housing and Social Work). She is a member of the Trade Union Unite (formerly TGWU) and has been active in the Labour Party for over 30 years, serving for a time as Ayr CLP Secretary.
In May 1997 she was elected MP for Ayr constituency, becoming Ayr's first ever Labour MP and first ever woman MP. She was re-elected in the June 2001 general election.
Sandra Osborne served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Helen Liddell, the Secretary of State for Scotland, from June 2002 until she stepped down in March 2003 because of her opposition to war with Iraq without a second UN resolution. She had previously served as PPS to George Foulkes, Minister of State at the Scotland Office and to his predecessor in that post, Brian Wilson.
She has served as Chair of the Scottish Group of Labour MPs and member of the Scottish Executive of the Labour Party. She has served as Chair of the All Party Group on Meningitis. She was a member of the Kerley Committee on the Renewal of Local Democracy, providing a minority report opposing PR.
In June 2004 Sandra was selected to be Labour Candidate for the new constituency of Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, where she was returned at the 2005 general election with a majority of 9997. She was appointed to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee in 2005. She is also Secretary of the All Party Group on Colombia and the Women, Peace and Security Group. In 2006 the Prime Minister appointed her a member of the UK Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
Her political interests include poverty, pensions, women's issues and International Development. She enjoys reading, walking and spending time with her granddaughter.
[edit] External links
- Sandra Osborne MP official site
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Sandra Osborne MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Sandra Osborne MP
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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| Preceded by Phil Gallie |
Member of Parliament for Ayr 1997–2005 |
Succeeded by (constituency abolished) |
| Preceded by (new constituency) |
Member of Parliament for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock 2005 – present |
Incumbent |
