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Kenneth Gibson (Scottish politician)

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Kenneth Gibson
MSP
Official portrait, 2021
Convener of the Finance and Public Administration Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office
22 June 2021
DeputyDaniel Johnson
Preceded byBruce Crawford
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Cunninghame North
Incumbent
Assumed office
3 May 2007
Preceded byAllan Wilson
Majority6117 (20.7%)
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Glasgow
In office
6 May 1999 – 31 March 2003
Personal details
Born (1961-09-08) 8 September 1961 (age 63)
Paisley, Scotland
Political partyScottish National Party
SpousePatricia Gibson MP
Alma materUniversity of Stirling

Kenneth James Gibson (born 8 September 1961) is a Scottish politician serving as the Convenor of the Finance and Public Administration Committee since 2021. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), he has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Cunninghame North since 2007, having previously represented the Glasgow electoral region from 1999 to 2003.[1]

Career

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Born in Paisley, Gibson served as an SNP councillor in Glasgow for Mosspark from 1992 to 1999, becoming the first ever party representative in the city to serve successive terms. Following the defection of three Labour councillors and a by-election win, Gibson (also known as 'Kenny')[2][3] became Leader of the Opposition on Glasgow City Council from January 1998 until being replaced on the council by his mother Iris in the election of 1999.

Gibson was first elected to the Scottish Parliament at the 1999 Scottish Parliament election as a list member for Glasgow electoral region.[4] Despite these efforts, he failed to win re-election in 2003.

Gibson was the first MSP to lodge plans for a ban of smoking in public places. The proposed Regulation of Smoking Bill was drawn up in the first Parliament but had to be abandoned after Gibson lost his seat in the 2003 Scottish Parliament election.[5]

In 2004, Gibson was third on the SNP's list for election to the European Parliament. In 2007, he was chosen to contest the constituency of Cunninghame North, winning that seat from Labour by the smallest margin in Scotland of 48 votes. In the subsequent 2011 SNP landslide election, Gibson secured a comfortable majority of 6,117 over Allan Wilson, the same Labour candidate, and former Scottish Minister, he had defeated by so slight a margin in 2007.[6]

In addition to his constituency activities, Gibson was also the Convener of the Finance Committee in the Scottish Parliament from 2011 to 2016 and brought attention to enhanced financial powers in the Scotland Act 2012.[7]

Gibson has also been actively involved in a number of Cross-Party Groups. He previously served as Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Epilepsy and the Cross-Party Group on Improving Scotland's Health: 2021 and Beyond. He currently convenes the Cross-Party Group on Life Sciences.[8]

Controversies

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In March 2017, Holyrood's Standards Committee admonished Gibson for failure to make an oral declaration of a registered financial interest.[9] The Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland submitted a report to the Procurator Fiscal. However, the alleged offence was "time barred from criminal proceedings."[10] Political opponents called for his suspension from the SNP.[11]

Gibson faced a selection challenge against former MP Corri Wilson and Osama Saeed for the SNP nomination for Cunninghame North at the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections.[12] Individual office-bearers in the Cunninghame North Constituency Association had issued a call for members to come forward to challenge Gibson and all sitting SNP MSPs, saying there should be 'a festival of democracy.'[13] On 14 October it was reported that two local SNP officials had resigned over allegations that Gibson had been 'aggressive and abrasive."[14] Gibson suggested he was the target of a smear campaign and “underhand tactics”.[15] Shortly after this, the SNP suspended the selection procedure in Cunninghame North.[16] SNP National Secretary Angus MacLeod issued a statement at the beginning of a hustings meeting which clarified the party was not investigating Gibson.[17] MacLeod had previously indicated that insufficient evidence had been presented by the complainers.[18] Gibson emerged as the winner of the selection contest.[19]

In December 2022, Gibson was said to be "bordering on hate speech" by Scottish Labour MSP Mercedes Villalba. This was during the Stage 3 debate on the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, where Gibson, on the topic of housing "anatomical males" in women's prisons, stated "If a fox said it was a chicken, would you put it in a henhouse? Of course not."[20]

References

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  1. ^ "Session 6 Finance and Public Administration Committee". www.parliament.scot. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  2. ^ "First Minister slams opponents over rise in sectarian tensions". The National. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Nicola Sturgeon blames opposition for rise in sectarian trouble". The Herald. Glasgow. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  4. ^ "Previous MSPs: Session 1 (1999–2003): Ken Gibson". Scottish Parliament. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  5. ^ "MSP tables plan for smoking ban". The Scotsman. 4 February 2004.
  6. ^ "BBC News - Election 2011 - Scotland - Cunninghame North". BBC News.
  7. ^ Gibson, Kenneth, "Implementing the Financial Powers in the Scotland Act 2012", Scottish Parliamentary Review, Vol. I, No. 2 (Jan, 2014) [Edinburgh: Blacket Avenue Press]
  8. ^ "Kenneth Gibson MSP information". www.parliament.scot. 14 August 2024.
  9. ^ Silvester, Norman (5 June 2016). "Top SNP MP in Secret Landlord Probe". The Daily Record. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  10. ^ Gordon, Tom (25 March 2017). "SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson under fire for failing to speak out over landlord status". The Herald. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  11. ^ Fisher, Paul (9 June 2016). "Local MSP Kenny Gibson hits out at calls for his suspension". Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Sitting MSP to face strong challenge for party nomination in upcoming Scottish elections". Largs and Millport Weekly News. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  13. ^ Paterson, Kirsteen (13 September 2020). "Kenneth Gibson challenge as locals demand all SNP MSPs face 2021 selection battle". The National. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  14. ^ Marini, Giani (14 October 2020). "Kenneth Gibson at centre of furore as two resign and rival suspends campaign". Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  15. ^ "SNP selection race suspended as probe launched into sitting MSP's conduct". The National. 25 October 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  16. ^ Paterson, Kirsteen (25 October 2020). "SNP selection race suspended as probe launched into sitting MSP's conduct". The Sunday National. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  17. ^ "Balloting begins as SNP selection battle plagued by party infighting". Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald. 5 November 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  18. ^ Ferguson, John (11 October 2020). "SNP chief Peter Murrell accused of ignoring women's bullying claims against MSP". Daily Record. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  19. ^ "Kenneth Gibson wins party nomination to stand again at Holyrood for Cunninghame North seat". Largs and Millport Weekly News. 5 December 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  20. ^ Sim, Philip (21 December 2022). "MSPs continue late-night debate on gender bill". BBC News Scotland. 23:07 21 Dec. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
[edit]
Scottish Parliament
Preceded by Member of the Scottish Parliament for Cunninghame North
2007–present 		Incumbent
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