Joe FitzPatrick

"Joe Fitzpatrick" redirects here. For other uses, see Joe Fitzpatrick (disambiguation).
Joe FitzPatrick
Minister for Parliamentary Business
Assumed office
5 September 2012
Preceded by Brian Adam
as Minister for Parliamentary Business and Chief Whip
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Dundee City West
Dundee West 2007-2011
Assumed office
3 May 2007
Preceded by Kate Maclean
Majority 6,405
Personal details
Born (1967-04-01) April 1, 1967
Dundee
Political party Scottish National Party
Alma mater Abertay University
Website www.joe.fitzpatrick.scot

Joe FitzPatrick (born 1 April 1967) is a Scottish National Party politician. He has represented the Dundee City West constituency at the Scottish Parliament since the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections, succeeding retiring Labour MSP Kate Maclean. He is also the Scottish Government Minister for Parliamentary Business, a post he has held since September 2012.

Life and career

FitzPatrick was educated at Whitfield Primary School, Whitfield High School, Inverness College and Abertay University.

He studied Forestry at Inverness College and worked for the Forestry Commission in Angus and Tillhill Forestry in Argyle.

He was elected President of Inverness College Students Association and was re-elected as the College's first Sabbatical President. He was elected to the National Executive of NUS (Scotland) in 1990 and was given specific responsibility for LGBT issues. He was later elected as the Area Convenor for the National Union of Students (North of Scotland Area) in 1991-92.

Before his election to the Scottish Parliament, FitzPatrick worked for Dundee SNP parliamentarians Shona Robison MSP and Stewart Hosie MP and was also a Dundee City councillor, SNP group whip and finance spokesperson. He also represented the council on a number of posts on outside bodies including:
1999–2003 Campaign for Rail Electrification Aberdeen to Edinburgh (CREATE)
1999–2003 COSLA Convention
1999–2002 Dundee City Council Sports Association for the Disabled
1999–2003 City of Dundee Sports Council
1999–2004 Member of the Board, Dundee Ice Rink
2005–2006 Member of the Board, Dundee Ice Arena
2001–2002 COSLA Royal Blind Asylum School
2001–2003 COSLA Spokesperson Consumer and Protection Services
2003–2007 COSLA Association for Public Services Excellence

After being elected MSP for Dundee West, he was elected as the SNP Group Secretary in the Parliament and was a member of the Finance Committee and SNP substitute on the Health Committee. He was also the Parliamentary Liaison Officer to John Swinney MSP (Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth).

In 2007 FitzPatrick was elected to the SNP's National Executive Committee. In 2009 he co-ordinated the SNP's successful European Election Campaign.[1]

In 2011 FitzPatrick was re-elected to the slightly enlarged Dundee City west seat with an increased majority and 57.6% of the vote. FitzPatrick went on to be appointed Convener of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee. He was Co-convener of the Cross Party Group on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency and Convener of the Cross Party Group on Computer Games Technology prior to his appointment as Minister for Parliamentary Business in September 2012.

FitzPatrick is one of seven openly LGBT MSPs, along with Marco Biagi, Derek Mackay, Ruth Davidson, Kevin Stewart, Jim Eadie and Patrick Harvie.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Gordon, Tom (30 May 2009), "Labour accused of dishonesty over leaflet 'charade", The Herald (Glasgow), retrieved 30 May 2009
  2. ↑ Harrison, Iain (21 December 2008), "Gay MSPs stay in closet", The Times (London), retrieved 22 December 2008

External links

Scottish Parliament
Preceded by
Kate Maclean		 Member of the Scottish Parliament for Dundee West
2007–present 		Succeeded by
Vacant (election in progress)
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