Douglas Alexander facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Douglas Alexander MP
Official portrait, 2024
Minister of State at the Cabinet Office
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 February 2025
Prime Minister	Keir Starmer
Preceded by	The Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 July 2024
Prime Minister	Keir Starmer
Preceded by	Greg Hands
In office 8 September 2004 – 5 May 2005
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Mike O'Brien
Succeeded by	Ian Pearson
Ministerial offices 2001‍–‍2010 Secretary of State for International Development In office 28 June 2007 – 11 May 2010 Prime Minister Gordon Brown Preceded by Hilary Benn Succeeded by Andrew Mitchell Secretary of State for Scotland In office 6 May 2006 – 28 June 2007 Prime Minister Tony Blair Preceded by Alistair Darling Succeeded by Des Browne Secretary of State for Transport In office 6 May 2006 – 28 June 2007 Prime Minister Tony Blair Preceded by Alistair Darling Succeeded by Ruth Kelly Minister of State for Europe In office 5 May 2005 – 6 May 2006 Prime Minister Tony Blair Preceded by Denis MacShane Succeeded by Geoff Hoon Minister for the Cabinet Office Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster In office 13 June 2003 – 8 September 2004 Prime Minister Tony Blair Preceded by The Lord Macdonald of Tradeston Succeeded by Alan Milburn Minister of State for the Cabinet Office In office 29 May 2002 – 13 June 2003 Prime Minister Tony Blair Preceded by Barbara Roche Succeeded by David Miliband (2004) Minister of State for e-Commerce and Competitiveness In office 11 June 2001 – 29 May 2002 Prime Minister Tony Blair Preceded by Ian McCartney (1999) Succeeded by Stephen Timms
Shadow cabinet portfolios 2011–2015 Shadow Foreign Secretary 2010–2011 Work and Pensions Secretary 2010–2010 International Development Secretary
Member of Parliament for Lothian East
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 July 2024
Preceded by	Kenny MacAskill
Majority	13,265 (27.7%)
Member of Parliament for Paisley and Renfrewshire South Paisley South (1997–2005)
In office 6 November 1997 – 30 March 2015
Preceded by	Gordon McMaster
Succeeded by	Mhairi Black
Personal details
Born	Douglas Garven Alexander (1967-10-26) 26 October 1967 (age 57) Glasgow, Scotland
Political party	Labour Co-op
Relations	Wendy Alexander (sister)
Education	University of Edinburgh

Douglas Garven Alexander (born 26 October 1967) is a British politician. He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Lothian East since 2024. He also served as an MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South from 1997 to 2015.

Douglas Alexander has held important roles in the UK government. He was a Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security from 2004 to 2005, and again since 2024. He also became a Minister of State at the Cabinet Office in 2025. He worked in the governments of former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

Early Life and Education

Douglas Alexander was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on 26 October 1967. His father was a minister, and his mother was a doctor. He spent much of his childhood in Bishopton.

School and College Years

He went to Park Mains High School in Erskine. He joined the Labour Party when he was still a schoolboy in 1982. In 1984, he won a scholarship to study in Canada at the Lester B. Pearson United World College of the Pacific. There, he earned his International Baccalaureate Diploma.

After Canada, he returned to Scotland. He studied politics and history at the University of Edinburgh. He also spent a year studying in the United States at the University of Pennsylvania. While in America, he worked for a Democratic senator and helped with a presidential election campaign. He finished his degree in 1990.

Becoming a Solicitor

In 1990, Douglas Alexander worked for Gordon Brown, who was a key politician at the time. Later, he studied law at the University of Edinburgh and became a solicitor in Scotland. He worked for a law firm that helped people who were injured at work.

Political Journey

Douglas Alexander has had a long career in politics, serving in different roles.

First Steps in Parliament

In 1995, he ran for MP in the Perth and Kinross by-election. He didn't win, but his strong performance caught the attention of Tony Blair, who later became Prime Minister.

In 1997, he was elected as the MP for Paisley South in a special election. He continued to represent this area, which later became Paisley and Renfrewshire South, until 2015.

Working as a Minister

After the 2001 election, Douglas Alexander became a Minister of State for e-Commerce and Competitiveness. This role involved helping businesses with technology. In 2002, he moved to the Cabinet Office, which supports the Prime Minister and government.

He was promoted in 2003 to Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. In 2004, he became Minister of State for Trade. After the 2005 election, he was made Minister of State for Europe, dealing with the UK's relationship with European countries. He also started attending important government meetings called Cabinet meetings.

In 2006, he took on two big jobs at once: Secretary of State for Scotland and Secretary of State for Transport. This meant he was in charge of government matters in Scotland and also the country's transport system. When Gordon Brown became Prime Minister in 2007, Douglas Alexander was appointed Secretary of State for International Development. In this role, he worked on helping poorer countries around the world.

After Government Service

After the Labour Party lost the 2010 election, Douglas Alexander continued to be an important figure in the party. He helped with leadership campaigns and became the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. Later, he became the Shadow Foreign Secretary, which meant he was the main spokesperson for his party on international affairs.

In the 2015 election, he lost his seat to Mhairi Black, a much younger candidate from the Scottish National Party. This was a big moment in Scottish politics.

Return to Parliament

In December 2022, Douglas Alexander decided to try and return to Parliament. He was chosen to be the Labour candidate for Lothian East. In July 2024, he won the election and became an MP again. Soon after, he was appointed Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security and then Minister of State at the Cabinet Office in 2025.

Other Work and Activities

After leaving Parliament in 2015, Douglas Alexander worked in different fields.

Academic and Advisory Roles

He became a fellow at Harvard University and a visiting professor at other universities, including the University of Chicago and King's College London. He also worked as an advisor to Bono, the singer, helping with efforts to fight global poverty. He joined a law firm as a strategic advisor.

Broadcasting and Public Discussion

Douglas Alexander has also created and presented radio programmes for BBC Radio 4. These programmes explored important topics like how people can disagree better and how society connects during difficult times like the COVID-19 pandemic. He also presented a guide to the COP26 climate conference.

Personal Life

Douglas Alexander is married to Jacqueline Christian, and they have a daughter and a son. His sister, Wendy Alexander, was also a politician in Scotland. His father, a Church of Scotland minister, led the funeral service for Donald Dewar, Scotland's first First Minister.