Michael Moore (Scottish politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Moore
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| Secretary of State for Scotland | |
| In office 29 May 2010 – 7 October 2013 |
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| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Danny Alexander |
| Succeeded by | Alistair Carmichael |
| Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats | |
| Acting 2 July 2008 – 26 August 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Nicol Stephen |
| Succeeded by | Tavish Scott |
| Liberal Democrat Northern Ireland and Scotland Spokesman | |
| In office 5 March 2008 – 11 May 2010 |
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| Leader | Nick Clegg |
| Preceded by | Alistair Carmichael |
| Succeeded by | Alistair Carmichael |
| Liberal Democrat International Development Spokesman | |
| In office 20 December 2007 – 5 March 2008 |
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| Leader | Nick Clegg |
| Preceded by | Lynne Featherstone |
| Succeeded by | Lembit Öpik |
| Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesman | |
| In office 2 March 2006 – 21 December 2007 |
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| Leader | Menzies Campbell Vince Cable (Acting) |
| Preceded by | Menzies Campbell |
| Succeeded by | Ed Davey |
| Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesman | |
| In office 16 May 2005 – 2 March 2006 |
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| Leader | Charles Kennedy Menzies Campbell |
| Preceded by | Paul Keetch |
| Succeeded by | Nick Harvey |
| Deputy Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats | |
| In office 2 October 2002 – 20 September 2010 |
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| Leader | Jim Wallace Nicol Stephen Tavish Scott |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Jo Swinson |
| Member of Parliament for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (1997–2005) |
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| In office 1 May 1997 – 30 March 2015 |
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| Preceded by | David Steel |
| Succeeded by | Calum Kerr |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Michael Kevin Moore
3 June 1965 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
| Spouse | Alison Moore |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh |
Michael Kevin Moore (born 3 June 1965) is a British former politician. He was a member of the Liberal Democrats party.
Michael Moore was born in Northern Ireland but grew up mostly in Scotland. He became a chartered accountant, which means he was an expert in managing money for businesses. He also worked for a well-known Liberal Democrat politician named David Steel.
In 1997, Michael Moore became a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Scottish Borders. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the UK Parliament. He took over from David Steel. From 2005, his area was called Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk.
He joined the Liberal Democrat team in Parliament in 2005. He worked on many important topics like defence, foreign affairs, and international development.
After the 2010 general election, the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties formed a coalition government. This means they worked together to run the country. Michael Moore was chosen to be the Secretary of State for Scotland in May 2010. This is a very important job, looking after Scottish affairs within the UK government.
While in this role, he helped put into action the Scotland Act 2012. This law gave more powers to Scotland's own parliament. He left this job in October 2013.
Michael Moore was an MP for his area four times. He was an MP for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale in 1997 and 2001. Then, he was an MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk in 2005 and 2010. He lost his seat in the 2015 election to Calum Kerr.
Early Life and Education
Michael Moore was born in Dundonald, Northern Ireland, on 3 June 1965. His parents were Geraldine Anne and Reverend William Haisley Moore, who was a chaplain in the British Army.
In 1970, his family moved to Wishaw, Scotland. Later, in 1981, they moved to the Scottish Borders. He went to Strathallan School and Jedburgh Grammar School. He then studied politics and modern history at the University of Edinburgh.
After university, he worked for a year as a researcher for another Liberal Democrat MP, Archy Kirkwood. He then joined an accounting firm in Edinburgh called Coopers & Lybrand. He became a Chartered Accountant in Scotland. This means he was a qualified expert in financial matters.
Time as a Member of Parliament
Michael Moore was first elected as an MP in the 1997 general election. He won the seat for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale. He took over from David Steel, who was retiring.
In 2001, he won his seat again with more votes. In 2005, the boundaries of the areas changed. He then won the new seat of Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk. He kept this seat in the 2010 election as well.
Working for the Liberal Democrats
After becoming an MP, Michael Moore worked as the Liberal Democrats' spokesperson for the Scottish economy. He was also part of a committee that looked at Scottish affairs in Parliament. Later, he became the party's spokesperson for transport.
In 2001, he became the Deputy Foreign Affairs Spokesman. Then he worked on defence. Under different party leaders, he also handled foreign affairs and international development.
From 2002, he was the Deputy Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats. He was re-elected to this role in 2007. He stepped down from this position in 2010. This was because his new job as Secretary of State for Scotland meant he had a lot more work.
Secretary of State for Scotland Role
After the 2010 general election, a coalition government was formed. This was between the Conservative party and the Liberal Democrats. Michael Moore was appointed Secretary of State for Scotland on 29 May 2010. This happened after another Scottish MP, Danny Alexander, moved to a different important role.
Public Appearances and Views
Soon after becoming Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore appeared on the BBC show Question Time. He talked about the government's new housing policies. He explained that everyone would need to help the country's finances.
In September 2010, a newspaper called the Daily Telegraph listed him as the 13th most influential Liberal Democrat. They described him as someone who could handle his job well and avoid problems.
Government Spending Decisions
In 2010, the British government reviewed its spending. Michael Moore supported keeping funding for two new aircraft carriers. These ships would be built in Scotland, creating jobs. He also supported keeping RAF air bases in Kinloss and Lossiemouth. These bases were important for many jobs in the Moray area.
On 19 October 2010, the government announced changes to defence spending. This meant that RAF Kinloss would close. The future of RAF Lossiemouth was also uncertain. Michael Moore said that a decision on its future was still needed.
The next day, the government announced cuts to its budget. Scotland's budget was cut by 4.6%, which was £1.3 billion. Moore said that Scotland had received a "fair deal" during difficult times. He explained that spending on public services in Scotland would be reduced less than in other parts of the UK.
University Tuition Fees
Michael Moore admitted that the issue of university tuition fees was difficult for his party. He said that the Liberal Democrats wished they could have removed fees. However, as part of the coalition government, they had to deal with a large national debt.
He explained that without changes, universities would not have enough money for good education. He also pointed out that university funding is managed by the Scottish parliament. This meant Scottish students studying in Scotland would not have to pay fees.
Scotland Act 2012 Details
On 30 November 2010, Michael Moore announced plans to give the Scottish Parliament new powers. These powers included setting taxes and borrowing money. These ideas were part of the Scotland Bill.
The bill allowed the Scottish Parliament to borrow money for the first time. It also gave them the power to set a "Scottish Income Tax" rate from 2015. This meant the Scottish Parliament would be responsible for raising about 35% of its own money. The rest would come from the UK government.
The Scotland Bill also transferred other powers to Scotland. These included setting the drink-drive limit and national speed limits. Michael Moore said this bill was a big step forward for Scotland. He believed it would make the Scottish government more responsible for its financial choices.
After Being a Cabinet Minister
Michael Moore was replaced as Scottish Secretary in October 2013 by Alistair Carmichael. A newspaper, The Guardian, reported that the government wanted someone more forceful to argue against Scottish independence. After this, Moore became a backbench MP. This means he was still an MP but not a government minister.
New Laws and Bills
In 2014, Michael Moore proposed a new law. This law would make the UK government spend at least 0.7% of its national income on international aid. This bill successfully became law on 26 March 2015. It was called the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015.
2015 Election Outcome
In the 2015 election, Michael Moore ran for his seat in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk for the fifth time. He lost the election. This was part of a big win for the Scottish National Party (SNP) that year. He received 18.7% of the votes, much less than the 45.4% he got in 2010.
Life After Politics
After leaving politics, Michael Moore became the Chief Executive of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA). This group represents companies that invest in other businesses.
Before this, from 2015 to 2019, he was a Senior Adviser at PwC. He worked on business deals and supported the company's regional leaders. Since 2016, he has also been the chairman of the Borders Book Festival.
He now lives in Darnick in the Scottish Borders with his wife, Alison, and their two children.
