James Craigen (politician) facts for kids

James Mark Craigen was born on 2 August 1938. He is a Scottish politician who was part of the Labour Co-operative political party. A politician is someone who works to represent people and help make decisions for their community or country.

Early Life and Education

James Craigen was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He went to school at Shawlands Academy. After that, he continued his education at Strathclyde University and Heriot-Watt University. These are universities where people study many different subjects.

Early Career

Before becoming a full-time politician, James Craigen had several jobs. From 1954 to 1961, he worked as a compositor. A compositor is someone who arranges letters and words for printing.

Later, he worked for the Scottish Gas Board, which was a company that provided gas to homes and businesses. From 1964 to 1968, he was a leader in an organization called the Scottish Trades Union Congress. This group helps workers and their rights. After that, he worked for the Scottish Business Education Council, which focused on business education.

Political Career

James Craigen began his political journey in local government. He was a member of the Glasgow City Council from 1965 to 1968. This council helps manage the city of Glasgow.

In 1970, he tried to become a Member of Parliament (MP) for the area of Ayr in a national election, but he did not win that time.

However, he later became an MP for Glasgow Maryhill. He served in the UK Parliament from 1974 until 1987. An MP represents the people of their area in the national government, helping to make laws and decisions for the country. James Craigen decided to step down from his role as MP in 1987. After he left, Maria Fyfe became the new MP for Glasgow Maryhill.