Alex Rowley
Alex Rowley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader of the Scottish Labour Party Acting | |
| In office 29 August 2017 – 15 November 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Kezia Dugdale |
| Succeeded by | Jackie Baillie (Acting) |
| Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party | |
| In office 15 August 2015 – 15 November 2017 | |
| Leader | Kezia Dugdale |
| Preceded by | Kezia Dugdale |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for Mid Scotland and Fife | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2016 | |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for Cowdenbeath | |
| In office 23 January 2014 – 23 March 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Helen Eadie |
| Succeeded by | Annabelle Ewing |
| General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party | |
| In office 1 May 1998 – 31 May 1999 | |
| Preceded by | Jack McConnell |
| Succeeded by | Lesley Quinn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 November 1963 Dunfermline, Scotland, UK |
| Political party | Scottish Labour Party (suspended) |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh |
| Website | Official website |
Alexander Andrew Penman Rowley (born 30 November 1963) is a Scottish politician who served as the Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2015 to 2017. He also briefly served as interim leader of the party in 2017 following the resignation of Kezia Dugdale, however he resigned from both positions following allegations made by a former partner. He is currently an additional member of the Scottish Parliament for Mid Scotland and Fife. First elected at the Cowdenbeath by-election in January 2014 for the Cowdenbeath constituency, he lost the seat to Annabelle Ewing of the SNP in the Scottish Parliament election, 2016 but was re-elected to the Scottish Parliament as an additional member for Mid Scotland and Fife. He is described as representing the left-wing of the Labour party.[1]
Early life
Born in Dunfermline and raised in Kelty, he was educated at St Columba's High School (Dunfermline), Newbattle Abbey College (Dalkeith), and Edinburgh University, graduating with an MA Honours in Sociology and Politics, and an MSc in community education.[2]
Political career
Rowley was General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party for one year; from May 1998 to May 1999. He was first elected to Fife Regional Council in 1990 when he was Chairman of Finance, and he later became the first leader of the new Fife Council, a position he returned to in 2012 until his election to the Scottish Parliament in 2014.[citation needed]
Prior to his election as an MSP he was a Fife councillor (re-elected in 2007) and Labour Council Group Leader.[3] He has three grown-up children, one of whom is Danielle Rowley; who was elected as MP for Midlothian (UK Parliament constituency) at the 2017 snap election and also has a granddaughter. He worked as an education official with the TUC and worked for five years as an assistant, election agent and constituency manager to former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. He was considered Gordon Brown's right-hand man and protégé.[4][5] He stood in the 2011 Scottish election as a Labour candidate for Dunfermline.
Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
He declared his candidacy for the Scottish Labour Party's 2015 deputy leadership election, and was elected on 15 August 2015.[citation needed] Following Kezia Dugdale's resignation, he took over as acting leader of the Scottish Labour Party, until the new leader is elected.[6]
In September 2017, a leaked recording of Alex Rowley at the Brighton Labour Party Conference led to accusations of a long-term plot to oust Kezia Dugdale and replace her with Richard Leonard. Rowley said he backed Leonard to become leader "for some time now" and that he "didn't believe Kezia would be there in 2021" to lead the party into the next Scottish election. Labour's Jackie Baillie MSP said in response to the leak: "This hypocrisy is extremely concerning given Alex’s public commitment to remain neutral during the leadership contest. But what will absolutely appall members is the confirmation of a plot involving Richard Leonard and his supporters to replace Kezia Dugdale. This behaviour by the party establishment is a complete betrayal of the membership and every value we hold dear."[7]
Domestic abuse allegations
On 15 November 2017 Alex Rowley resigned as deputy leader after his former partner took to a newspaper to accuse him of sending her abusive messages. Rowley denied the allegations and said he would clear his name.[8]
The Scottish Labour Party issued a statement saying: "Alex Rowley has stood aside as Interim and Deputy Leader of Scottish Labour and referred himself to the Party's internal complaints procedure regarding allegations made against him."[9]
The former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale (MSP) issued a statement calling for Rowley to be immediately suspended from the party while the investigation is ongoing.[10]
Leadership candidate Anas Sarwar MSP also joined calls for Rowley to be suspended while the investigation is carried out.[11][12]
References
- ^ "Kezia Dugdale steps down as Scottish Labour's leader". The Economist. 2 September 2017.
- ^ "BMMS May 1999". Artsweb.bham.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
- ^ "Labour denies London control claim".
- ^ "Home of the Daily and Sunday Express". Express.co.uk. 1 May 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
- ^ Jack O'Sullivan Scotland Correspondent (21 May 1999). "Parliament: Scotland: Labour sacks Scots party chief". London, UK: The Independent. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Kezia Dugdale quits as Scottish Labour leader". 29 August 2017 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-labour-plot-to-oust-kezia-dugdale-revealed-in-leaked-recording-1-4571364
- ^ https://twitter.com/originalfm/status/930716131970691073
- ^ https://twitter.com/nickeardleybbc/status/930723887876362241
- ^ https://twitter.com/nickeardleybbc/status/930750324943532032
- ^ https://twitter.com/kathsamsonitv/status/930818010054647809
- ^ https://twitter.com/nickeardleybbc/status/930809466102145025