CAREER BEFORE PARLIAMENT
Trained as Mining Engineer in the Scottish Coalfield from 1964-68. Worked at Ponfeigh (Douglas) and Auchlochan (Coalburn No.9) Collieries.

Moved to Nottinghamshire Coalfield in 1968 as a coalface engineer and worked for 19 years until 1987. Leader of Nottingham striking miners in the 1984-1985 national miners' strike.

First elected as Local Govenment Councillor 3 May 1973, aged 24 years and was the youngest elected Miner's union official in Nottinghamshire Coalfield 2 October 1973.

Elected to Parliament 11 June 1987, succeeding the late Baroness Dame Judith Hart who retired after 28 years as Labour MP for the area.

POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY
Ollerton Parish Council 1973-87
(Chairman 1976-81);
Newark & Sherwood District Council 1979-87
NUM Official 1973-87

Member of Parliament for Clydesdale
1987-92, 1992-97, 1997-2001, 2001-2005. 

Member of Parliament for Lanark & Hamilton East 
2005 -

IN PARLIAMENT
Member of Speaker's Panel of Chairman
1997-2001, 2001-

Member of the UK Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly  2005 -

SELECT COMMITTEES
European Legislation 1987-98
 -      Chairman 1992-98

Chairman of European Scrutiny Committee
1998-2001, 2001-2006.

Liaison (Committee of all Select Committee Chairman)
1992-1997, 1997-2001, 2001-2006.

Defence 1997-2001

BACKBENCH COMMITTEES
Convener, Scottish Labour MPs Home Affairs 1987-97
Member, Labour Party Departmental Committees for:
Defence 1997-
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 1997-
Home Affairs 1997-

ALL-PARTY GROUPS
Secretary of CPA Overseas Territories Group

Treasurer Nuclear Energy Group
Founder Chairman of ME Group

PARTY GROUPS
Convenor, Scottish Parliamentary Group of Labour MPs 1996-97.
Scottish Labour Party Executive 1996-97
Chairman Miners Parliamentary Group 1992-94, Trades Union Group, AMICUS Parliamentary Group.

PRIVATE MEMBERS BILLS (PMB)
Presented two PMB's on ME, others on Under-age drinking, School Bus Safety and a Rewarding Democracy Bill

SPECIAL INTERESTS
Health Service, Home Affairs, Agriculture, Environment illness, Energy, Housing, Education, Alcohol Abuse and Under-age Drinking, European Union, Defence