# Organisation of Scottish Labour

The Organisation of Scottish Labour is a body established under the national rules of the UK Labour Party.

## Timeline

Origins and evolution of Scottish Labour
* In August 1888, after contesting the Mid Lanarkshire by-election, Keir Hardie co-founded with Liberal MP Robert Cunninghame-Graham the Scottish Labour Party (1888) with the support of the Scottish Miners' Federation, local trade unions, the Dundee Radical Association, the Scottish Home Rule Association, Crofters Party MPs, and the Scottish Land Restoration League.
* In December 1888, the Scottish Socialist Federation (SSF) was formed by members of the Social Democratic Federation.
* In August 1891, the Scottish United Trades Councils Labour Party (SUTCLP) was formed.
* In July 1892 general election, the SUTCLP gained support from the SSF.
* In January 1893, Keir Hardie and others formed the Independent Labour Party (ILP).
* In March 1893, the SUTCLP dissolved, advising members to join the ILP.
* In 1893, the Scottish Socialist Federation affiliated with the ILP.
* In 1894, the Scottish Labour Party of 1888 had by then made little impact and dissolved itself into the ILP.
* In March 1897, the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) was formed in Glasgow, as a result of a political dispute with the TUC regarding political representation for the Labour movement.
* In 1899, the STUC with the ILP's Scottish branch formed the parliamentary campaign group Scottish Workers' Representation Committee (SWRC)
* In 1900, the ILP played a central role in the formation of the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) which was created by ILP Chairman Hardie's motion to create a single Labour parliamentary body that was passed at a special conference organised by the TUC. ILP nominee Ramsay MacDonald was elected as Secretary of the LRC.
* In 1906, the LRC is renamed the Labour Party, with the ILP becoming a Labour party affiliate and providing much of its activist base.
* In 1909, the SWRC was dissolved and merged with the Labour Party.
* In 1915, a subordinate Scottish Advisory Council (SAC) was formed by the Labour Party.
* In 1918, Scotland was formalised a "region" in the Labour party constitution and the SAC was renamed as the Scottish Council of the Labour Party
* In 1994, the Scottish Council of the Labour Party was renamed the Scottish Labour Party.
* In 2011, the Scottish Labour Party carried out a review of its organisation and elected its first ever overall leader (Johann Lamont).

## Structure

* UK Labour Party Head Office, London
** UK Labour Leader's Office
* UK National Executive Committee
** Scottish Labour Party Head Office, Glasgow
*** Scottish Labour Leader's Office
*** Scottish Executive Committee
**** Affiliated STUC trade unions, socialist societies and the Co-operative Party
**** Scottish Policy Forum
***** Policy commissions & local policy forums
**** Scottish Labour Conference
*** Scottish Labour Press Office
*** Labour Support Unit, Scottish Parliament
** Constituency Labour Parties (CLP)
*** Branch Labour Parties (BLP)

## Scottish Executive Committee

The Scottish Executive Committee is the governing body of the Scottish Labour Party, responsible for administrative matters and strategic policy direction. The SEC officially meets every second month, with much of day-to-day party business and operations undertaken in groups and commissions. The SEC has three different membership sections – Constituency Labour Party (CLP) members, elected members and trade unions and affiliates. It is further split into the local government sub-committee and the constitution, fundraising and campaigns working groups.
Membership as of 2021:
Office Bearers
* Cara Hilton – Chair of the Scottish Labour Party
* Karen Whitefield – Vice-chair
* Cathy Peattie – Treasurer
Elected Members
* Anas Sarwar – Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
* Jackie Baillie – Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
* Ian Murray – Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
* Maureen Devlin – Local Government
* David Ross – Local Government
* Meta Ramsay – Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) Group Representative
* Jenny Marra – Scottish Parliament Group Representative
* Mark Griffin – Scottish Parliament Group Representative
Constituency Labour Party members
* Johanna Baxter – West of Scotland/Mid Scotland & Fife
* Cara Hilton – West of Scotland/Mid Scotland & Fife
* Lina Nass – North East Scotland/Highlands & Islands
* Marion Sporing – North East Scotland/Highlands & Islands
* Suzan King – Central Scotland/Glasgow
* James Adams – Central Scotland/Glasgow
* Scott Arthur – Lothians/South of Scotland
* Ann Henderson – Lothians/South of Scotland
Trade Union Section
* Drew Smith – GMB
* Cathy Murphy GMB
* Jackson Cullinane – Unite
* Siobhan McCready – Unite
* Simon Macfarlane – Unison
* Maggie Cook – Unison
* Jacqueline Martin – USDAW
* Karen Whitefield – USDAW
* Cathy Peattie – CWU
* John McCue – ASLEF
Scottish Labour Women's Committee
* Lorna Robertson
* Monique McAdams
Co-operative Party & Socialist Societies
* Ben Procter
* Katherine Sangster
Scottish Young Labour
* Coll Mcail
* Lauren Harper

## Chairs of Scottish Labour

| | Chair | Vice-chair |
| 1917 | Robert Stewart | |
| 1918–1923 | | |
| 1924 | William Shaw | |
| 1925–1928 |
| 1929 | Joseph Waugh | H. Pilkington |
| 1930 | | |
| 1931 | A. W. Brady | |
| 1932–1936 |
| 1937 | Mary Auld | |
| 1938 | James McInnes | |
| 1939–1944 | | |
| 1945 | John Lang | Jean Mann |
| 1946 | John Ross | Sinclair Shaw |
| 1947 | R. A. Raffan | |
| 1948–1950 | | |
| 1951 | Margaret Hyde | |
| 1952 | Tom Hollywood | |
| 1953 | John Lang | |
| 1954 | Eustace Willis | Magnus Fairnie |
| 1955 | M. McNeill | Robert Young |
| 1956 | Robert Young | John Cullion |
| 1957 | | |
| 1958 | Jean Saggar | |
| 1959 | John D. Pollock | |
| 1960 | | |
| 1961 | Jenny Auld | |
| 1962 | W. J. Fraser | |
| 1963 | R. Irvine | |
| 1964 | Richard Stewart | |
| 1965 | David Lambie | |
| 1966 | M. Lonsdale | |
| 1967 | A. Bell | |
| 1968 | A. Mackie | |
| 1969 | J. Reid | |
| 1970 | C. Donnett | |
| 1971 | John D. Pollock | |
| 1972 | P. Talbot | |
| 1973 | Allan Campbell McLean | F. Gromill |
| 1974 | F. Gromill | Tom Fulton |
| 1975 | Tom Fulton | E. McKenzie |
| 1976 | Charlotte Haddow | George Robertson |
| 1977 | George Robertson | Janey Buchan |
| 1978 | Janey Buchan | Sam Gooding |
| 1979 | Sam Gooding | Donald Macgregor |
| 1980 | Donald Macgregor | |
| 1981 | George Galloway | James McCafferty |
| 1982 | James McCafferty | Gordon Brown |
| 1983 | Gordon Brown | |
| 1984 | Doug Henderson | John Walker |
| 1985–1986 | | |
| 1987 | Bill Speirs | |
| 1988 | | |
| 1989 | Mark Lazarowicz | |
| 1990–1994 | | |
| 1995 | Rhona Brankin | |
| 1996–2001 |
| 2002 | Carol Wright | Richard Leonard |
| 2003 | Richard Leonard | Pat Devine |
| 2004 | Pat Devine | Sandra Macdonald |
| 2005 | Sandra Macdonald | Karie Murphy |
| 2006 | Karie Murphy | Stuart Clark |
| 2007 | Stuart Clark | Dave Watson |
| 2008 | Dave Watson | Claudia Beamish |
| 2009 | Claudia Beamish | Philomena Muggins |
| 2010 | Philomena Muggins | Victoria Jamieson |
| 2011–12 | Victoria Jamieson | Jackson Cullinane |
| 2013 | Jackson Cullinane | Jamie Glackin |
| 2014–16 | Jamie Glackin | Jacqueline Martin |
| 2017 | Linda Stewart | Kevin Lindsay |
| 2018 | Linda Stewart | Cathy Peattie |
| 2019 | Cathy Peattie | Cara Hilton |
| 2020 | Cara Hilton | Ian Miller |
| 2021 | Cara Hilton | Karen Whitefield |
| 2022 | Karen Whitefield | Scott Arthur |

## Scottish Policy Forum

The Scottish Policy Forum (SPF) is a body of the Scottish Labour Party responsible for developing a rolling policy programme on devolved matters. The Scottish Annual Conference approves policies of the SPF programme every year with the Scottish Executive Committee (in conjunction with a committee from the Scottish Parliament Labour Group) deciding which items of the programme are to be incorporated in Labour's manifesto for the Scottish Parliament elections. The SPF policy-making process is led by the 80 members elected from all sections of the party. The SPF establishes policy commissions to draw together policy discussion documents for consultation over three stages. The SPF is subordinate and feeds reports to the National Policy Forum.

## General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party

The General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party, subordinate to the General Secretary of the Labour Party, is the administrative head and the most senior permanent staff member of the Scottish Labour Party. The General Secretary is responsible for running the party's organisation: legal affairs, staff management, campaigns, conferences, and liaising with the UK party. They also act as the Registered Treasurer, responsible for the party's financial accounts.
| | General Secretary | Notes |
| 1914–1931 | Ben Shaw | |
| 1932–1939 | Arthur Woodburn | |
| 1939–1951 | John Taylor | |
| 1951–1977 | Willie Marshall | |
| 1977–1988 | Helen Liddell | |
| 1988–1992 | Murray Elder | |
| 1992–1998 | Jack McConnell | Left role in 1998 to work for 9 months at lobbying firm Public Affairs Europe Ltd, owned by Beattie Media and Maclay Murray & Spens In 1999, elected as Motherwell and Wishaw MSP and became First Minister of Scotland in 2001 Elevated to House of Lords as Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale in 2010 |
| 1998–1999 | Alex Rowley | Sacked as general secretary after setting out proposals for giving Scottish Labour more freedom from London control Went on to become a Fife councillor, Leader of Fife Council, and MSP for Cowdenbeath Elected Scottish Labour deputy leader in 2014 however stood down in 2017 following allegations of misconduct from a former partner |
| 1999–2008 | Lesley Quinn | Joined the Labour Party as a 16-year-old junior shorthand typist As assistant general secretary, became acting general secretary in June 1999 to coordinate 1999 European election campaign Formally appointed as general secretary in November 1999 Stood down at 2008 Scottish Labour conference in Aviemore in March |
| 2008–2012 | Colin Smyth | Dumfries and Galloway councillor for Nith Ward Elected as a regional member for South Scotland at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election |
| 2012–2013 | Brian Roy (acting) | |
| 2013–2014 | Ian Price | |
| 2014 | Fiona Stanton (acting) | |
| 2014–2019 | Brian Roy | |
| 2019–2020 | Lorna Finlayson (interim) | |
| 2020 | Michael Sharpe | |
| 2021 | Drew Smith (Acting) | |
| 2021-2023 | James Kelly | |
| 2023-2024 | John Paul McHugh | |
| 2024-Present | Kate Watson | |

## Staff

* Press Office
** Media Monitoring Unit
** Rebuttal Unit
** Regional press teams
* Research Unit (policy and constitutional issues)
* Administrative support
* Scottish Parliamentary Labour Support Unit (formerly SPLP Resource Unit)
| | Director of Communications | Notes |
| 1998 | Paul McKinney | April 1998 to 21 May 1998 Headhunted by Donald Dewar and Gordon Brown Ran Labour's Scottish press campaign in the 1992 general election Four years as an aide/researcher to Gordon Brown, alongside Pat McFadden and David Miliband Head of STV news production until April 1998 Returned to STV from 1998 until 2004 Worked for Oxfam from 2004 until 2006, when he joined Al Jazeera |
| 1998–1999 | Lorraine Davidson | July 1998 to July 1999 |
| 2000–2002 | John Scott | From February 2000 |
| 2001–2005 | Colin Edgar | |
| 2006–2007 | Steven Lawther | |
| 2007 | Brian Lironi | |
| 2007 | Matthew Marr | |
| 2007 | Gavin Yates | |
| 2007–2008 | Tony McElroy | |
| 2008 | Rami Okasha | |
| 2019 | Conrad Landin | |
| | Secretary of State for Scotland | Under-Secretary of State for Scotland |
| 1997–1999 | Donald Dewar | Henry McLeish Brian Wilson Helen Liddell |
| 1999–2001 | Dr John Reid | Brian Wilson |
| 2001–2003 | Helen Liddell | George Foulkes Anne McGuire |
| 2003–2006 | Alistair Darling | Anne McGuire David Cairns |
| 2006–2007 | Douglas Alexander | David Cairns |
| 2007–2008 | Des Browne | David Cairns |
| 2008–2010 | Jim Murphy | Ann McKechin |
Special Advisers to Donald Dewar
As Secretary of State for Scotland (1997–1999):
* Wendy Alexander
* Murray Elder
* David Whitton
As First Minister (1999–2000):
* John Rafferty – Chief of staff
* Philip Chalmers – Head of the Scottish Executive's strategic communications unit (previously director of polling and marketing for the Scottish Labour Party)
* David Whitton
* Brian Fitzpatrick
* John MacLaren
* Professor Donald Maclennan
* Neil Gillam
* Chris Winslow

## Scottish Parliament elections

1999
* Matthew Taylor – Election strategist
* Douglas Alexander – Election coordinator
* Donald Dewar – Secretary of State for Scotland
* Gordon Brown – Chancellor of the Exchequer
* Brian Wilson – Minister of State for Scotland
* John Reid – Minister of State for Transport
* Alex Rowley – General Secretary
* Lesley Quinn – Assistant General Secretary
* Paul McKinney – Head of communications
* David Whitton – Media adviser to Donald Dewar
* Pat McFadden – Policy adviser to Donald Dewar
* John Rowan – Scottish Telephone Bank Organiser
* Hilary Perrin – Tours
* Bridget Sweeny – Visits
* Ian Austin – Deputy director of communications
* Ed Miliband – Rebuttal
* John Rafferty – Chief of staff to Donald Dewar
* Ann-Marie Whyte – Administration and office manager
* Kevin Reid and Suzanne Hilliard – Media monitoring
* Chris Winslow – Campaigner and parliamentary researcher to John Maxton MP
* Willie Sullivan – Development officer
2003
* Jack McConnell – Leader and First Minister of Scotland
* Jonathan Ashworth – Labour Party economics and welfare policy officer
* Gordon Brown – Chancellor of the Exchequer
* Lesley Quinn – General Secretary
2007
* Jack McConnell – Leader and First Minister of Scotland
* John McTernan – Campaign coordinator
* George Foulkes, Baron Foulkes of Cumnock – Campaign vice-chair
* Tony Blair – Prime Minister
* Gordon Brown – Chancellor of the Exchequer
* Douglas Alexander – Secretary of State for Scotland
* Lesley Quinn – General Secretary
2011
* Iain Gray MSP – Leader
* Simon Pia – Spokesperson
* Michael Marra – Speechwriter
* John Park MSP – Campaign coordinator
* Tom Greatrex MP – Campaign strategist
* Kenny Young – Press Officer
* Colin Smyth – General Secretary
* Rami Okasha – Head of communications
* Sarah Metcalfe – Head of research
* Adele Black – Diary secretary
* Pat Gordon – Assistant and election agent
2016
* Kezia Dugdale MSP – Leader
* Alex Rowley MSP – Deputy leader
* James Kelly MSP – Campaign coordinator
* Brian Roy – General Secretary
2021
* Anas Sarwar MSP – Leader
* Jackie Baillie MSP – Deputy leader
* Kate Watson – Campaign coordinator
* Drew Smith – Acting General Secretary

## Party finance

Donors
* Brian Dempsey
* Willie Haughey
* John Milligan
2010 general election expenditure: £968,000
| Year | Income | Expenditure |
| 2010 | 706,738 | 599,951 |
| 2009 | 387,722 | 307,925 |
| 2008 | 396,159 | 455,699 |
| 2007 | 1,029,358 | 940,851 |
| 2006 | 396,777 | 471,698 |
| 2005 | 523,523 | 437,219 |
| 2004 | 318,609 | 305,120 |
| 2003 | 858,547 | 920,233 |
| 2002 | 353,342 | 320,669 |