Iain Gray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Iain Gray
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Gray in 2008
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| Leader of the Scottish Labour Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Acting 13 June 2015 – 15 August 2015 |
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| UK party leader | Harriet Harman (acting) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Jim Murphy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Kezia Dugdale | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 13 September 2008 – 17 December 2011 |
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| Deputy | Johann Lamont | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK party leader |
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| Preceded by | Wendy Alexander | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Johann Lamont | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 7 June 1957 Edinburgh, Scotland |
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| Political party | Scottish Labour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Gillianne McCormack | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Iain Cumming Gray (born 7 June 1957) is a Scottish politician who was the Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2008 to 2011. He served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for over 15 years, representing different areas of Scotland.
Before becoming a politician, Gray worked as a teacher and for an aid charity. He was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999. He lost his seat in 2003 but was re-elected in 2007 to represent East Lothian.
In 2008, Gray was elected to lead the Scottish Labour Party. Under his leadership, the party had some successes. However, the 2011 Scottish Parliament election was very difficult for Labour, and they lost many seats. Gray announced he would step down as leader shortly after the election. He continued to serve as an MSP until 2021.
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Early Life and First Jobs
Iain Gray was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He went to school at Inverness Royal Academy and George Watson's College. He studied physics at the University of Edinburgh and then trained to be a teacher.
After graduating, Gray taught math and physics at a high school in Edinburgh. He then moved to Mozambique, a country in Africa, to teach there. After his time in Mozambique, he worked for 12 years as a campaigns director for the charity Oxfam in Scotland.
Starting a Career in Politics
Gray's political career began when he was elected to the new Scottish Parliament in the 1999 Scottish Parliament election. He represented the Edinburgh Pentlands area.
Becoming a Minister
Right after being elected, Gray was given a job as a deputy minister in the Scottish Executive, which is now called the Scottish Government. In 2001, when Jack McConnell became First Minister, Gray was promoted to Minister for Social Justice.
A year later, in 2002, he became the Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning. In this role, he was in charge of making important changes to universities and colleges in Scotland.
Losing and Returning to Parliament
In the 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Gray lost his seat to David McLetchie, the leader of the Scottish Conservative Party. After leaving the parliament, he worked as a special adviser to Alistair Darling, who was the Secretary of State for Scotland in the UK government.
Gray decided to run for parliament again and was chosen as the Labour candidate for East Lothian. He won this seat in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election. When he returned to the Scottish Parliament, he was given the role of Shadow Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism for his party.
Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
In 2008, the leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Wendy Alexander, resigned. Gray decided to run in the election to replace her. In September 2008, he was elected as the new leader of the party.
Election Challenges
During a campaign event for the 2011 Scottish Parliament election at Glasgow Central station, Gray had to leave because of a protest. He went into a nearby Subway shop to get away from the protesters, who followed him inside.
Gray later said the event did not bother him. He explained that he had worked in difficult situations before, including in countries that had experienced civil war and conflict, such as Mozambique, Rwanda, Cambodia, and Chile.
2011 Election and Resignation
The 2011 election was a major defeat for the Labour party. They lost seven seats overall, and the Scottish National Party (SNP) won a majority for the first time. It was Labour's worst election result in Scotland in 80 years.
Gray managed to keep his own seat in East Lothian, but he won by only 151 votes. The day after the election, he announced that he would resign as the leader of the Scottish Labour Party later that year.
Later Political Career
Even after stepping down as leader, Gray remained an important figure in the Scottish Labour Party. In 2013, he was appointed as the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance. After a party leadership election in 2014, he became the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning.
In 2015, Gray briefly became the Acting Leader of the Scottish Labour Party. This was a temporary role while the party elected a new leader and deputy leader.
At the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, Gray kept his seat for East Lothian and increased his majority of votes compared to 2011. In June 2020, he announced that he would not run in the next election in 2021, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.
Personal Life
Iain Gray is married to Gillianne McCormack. He is a big fan of the Hibernian football club from Edinburgh. In his free time, he enjoys reading, listening to music, and hill walking. He is a member of the Church of Scotland.
