Joe FitzPatrick

Joe FitzPatrick MSP
Convener of the Scottish Parliament Local Government and Regeneration Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office 15 June 2011
Preceded by	Duncan McNeil as Convener of the Local Government and Communities Committee
Member of the Scottish Parliament for Dundee City West Dundee City West
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 May 2007
Preceded by	Kate Maclean
Majority	6,405
Personal details
Born	April 1, 1967 (1967-04-01) Dundee
Political party	Scottish National Party
Alma mater	Abertay University
Website	joefitzpatrick.net

Joe FitzPatrick (born 1 April 1967) is a Scottish politician, and member for the Scottish National Party for Dundee City West in the Scottish Parliament since May 2007, succeeding retiring Labour MSP Kate Maclean.

Life and career

FitzPatrick was educated at Whitfield Primary School, Whitfield High School, Inverness College and Abertay University.

He studied Forestry at Inverness College and worked for the Forestry Commission in Angus and Tillhill Forestry in Argyle.

He was elected President of Inverness College Students Association and was re-elected as the College's first Sabbatical President. He was elected to the National Executive of NUS (Scotland) in 1990 and was given specific responsibility for LGBT issues. He was later elected as the Area Convenor for the National Union of Students (North of Scotland Area) in 1991-92.^{[citation needed]}

Before his election to the Scottish Parliament, FitzPatrick worked for Dundee SNP parliamentarians Shona Robison MSP and Stewart Hosie MP and was also a Dundee City councillor, SNP group whip and finance spokesperson.^{[citation needed]} He also represented the council on a number of posts on outside bodies including:
1999–2003 Campaign for Rail Electrification Aberdeen to Edinburgh (CREATE)
1999–2003 COSLA Convention
1999–2002 Dundee City Council Sports Association for the Disabled
1999–2003 City of Dundee Sports Council
1999–2004 Member of the Board, Dundee Ice Rink
2005–2006 Member of the Board, Dundee Ice Arena
2001–2002 COSLA Royal Blind Asylum School
2001–2003 COSLA Spokesperson Consumer and Protection Services
2003–2007 COSLA Association for Public Services Excellence

After being elected MSP for Dundee West, he was elected as the SNP Group Secretary in the Parliament and was a member of the Finance Committee and SNP substitute on the Health Committee. He was also the Parliamentary Liaison Officer to John Swinney MSP (Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth).

In 2007 FitzPatrick was elected to the SNP's National Executive Committee. In 2009 he co-ordinated the SNP's successful Europen Election Campaign.

In 2011 FitzPatrick was re-elected to the slightly enlarged Dundee City west seat with an increased majority and 57.6% of the vote. FitzPatrick went on to be appointed Convener of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee. He is Co-convener of the Cross Party Group on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency and Convener of the Cross Party Group on Computer Games Technology.

FitzPatrick is one of four openly LGBT MSPs, along with Marco Biagi (politician), Patrick Harvie and Ruth Davidson.

See also

• Government of the 3rd Scottish Parliament

External links

• Joe FitzPatrick MSP Scottish Parliament webpage
• Joe FitzPatrick SNP website biography

Scottish Parliament
Preceded by Kate Maclean	Member of the Scottish Parliament for Dundee West 2007–present	Incumbent