Maureen Watt
| Maureen Watt MSP |
|
|---|---|
| File:MaureenWatt20110507.JPG | |
| Minister for Public Health | |
| Assumed office 21 November 2014 |
|
| First Minister | Nicola Sturgeon |
| Preceded by | Michael Matheson |
| Convener of the Scottish Parliament Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee | |
| Assumed office 15 June 2011 |
|
| Preceded by | Patrick Harvie (as Convenor of the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee) |
| Minister for Schools and Skills | |
| In office 17 May 2007 – 10 February 2009 |
|
| First Minister | Alex Salmond |
| Preceded by | Hugh Henry |
| Succeeded by | Keith Brown |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine |
|
| Assumed office 6 May 2011 |
|
| Preceded by | Nicol Stephen |
| Majority | 6,323 |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for North East Scotland |
|
| In office 19 April 2006 – 23 March 2011 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 June 1951 (age 62) |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Political party | Scottish National Party |
Maureen Watt (born 23 June 1951)[1] is a Scottish politician who is Minister of Public Health and has served as a Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for North East Scotland since 2006.
Early life
Born in Aberdeen to a farming family, she was educated at Keith Grammar School and studied at University of Strathclyde, graduating with an Honours degree in Politics.[2] She went on to gain a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of Birmingham.[2]
Early career
She was a teacher in Social Studies at a Comprehensive school in England from 1974−1976[2] and moved back to Scotland to work in the oil sector.[3] In the mid-1990s she worked as Rector’s Assessor for Allan Macartney when he was Rector of the University of Aberdeen.[4] In 1998 she was appointed to the Independent Commission on Local Government and the Scottish Parliament.[5]
She was a Councillor on Grampian Regional Council and had served on the Visiting Committee of Aberdeen Prison.
Parliamentary career
She was sworn in as MSP on 19 April 2006 to replace Richard Lochhead who had resigned his seat to contest the Moray by-election. The next person on the SNP list from the 2003 election had been Alasdair Allan but he refused his place in Parliament as he had secured the SNP nomination for the Western Isles for the 2007 election. The next person on the list was Maureen Watt, who took up the place. She became the first MSP to swear their oath of allegiance in Doric.[6][7]
Watt made her maiden speech [8] on 20 April 2006 on the subject of Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation. With a gap of only 17 hours 25 minutes since taking the Parliamentary oath she took over the record for the shortest wait from John Scott.
After the SNP's victory at the 2007 Scottish Parliament Election, Watt was appointed as the Minister for Schools and Skills.[9] She left this office on 10 February 2009.
In May 2011, Watt was elected as SNP MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine on a 15.77% swing from the Liberal Democrats.
On 21 November 2014 she was appointed Minister of Public Health, succeeding Michael Matheson who was promoted to the Cabinet.[10]
Family
Watt is the daughter of former SNP MP (1974–1979) Hamish Watt. She is married with two children. One of them, Stuart Donaldson, was elected to the UK Parliament in 2015.[11]
References
- ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/representatives/profiles/38299.stm
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- ↑ Official Report; c 24778, Scottish Parliament, 20 April 2006
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External links
- Maureen Watt MSP at Scottish Parliament
- http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/aspect/aspect2003/snp/a03snpabs.htm
- Pages with broken file links
- Ministers of the Scottish Government
- Members of the Scottish Parliament for Aberdeen constituencies
- Scottish National Party MSPs
- 1951 births
- Living people
- Members of the Scottish Parliament 2003–07
- Members of the Scottish Parliament 2007–11
- Members of the Scottish Parliament 2011–
