Biography - Nigel Griffiths, Labour MP | |
Nigel Griffiths is one of our most experienced and active MPs. He is the first-ever Labour MP for South Edinburgh, the first MP to live in the Constituency, and the first to open and run a fully staffed office in South Edinburgh. Nigel was Deputy Leader of the House of Commons until 2007, and before that has held a number of important government positions, including Minister for Construction, Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs, Minister for Coal Health Compensation, Minister for Small Businesses and Minister for Enterprise. He resigned from Government in March 2007 over his opposition to funding new Trident nuclear submarines. Former position held in public office-Member of the Edinburgh International Festival Council. -Founder and chair of Wester Hailes Citizen Advice Bureau. -Member of Wester Hailes Community School Council. -Chair of the City of Edinburgh Council Housing Committee – spearheading the £100m programme of housing projects in the public and private sectors. -Member of Lothian Health Council. -Member of the South of Scotland Electricity Board. -Chair of the European Council of Consumer Ministers. Work with NGOs and Charities -Employed for nearly a decade by the Action Group for People with Learning Disabilities, a £5m turnover service provider. -Helped to found The Big Issue in Scotland. -Helped to found SEAD, Scotland’s first fair-trade organisation. -Founded and Chaired Scottish Charities Kosovo Appeal. -Helped to found Edinburgh’s Capital Credit Union. -Helped to establish Age Concern’s Care and Repair Project for elderly people. -Chaired HEAT Home Energy Action Team project to insulate houses. -Founded of the South Edinburgh Local Heroes award scheme. -Sponsor of the Karuna Trust for untouchables in India. -Member of Friends of the Earth. -Member of the RSPB. Current positions - Member of the Public Accounts Committee, Parliament’s most powerful Select Committee. - Vice President of the Parliamentary Arts and Heritage Group. - Member of the advisory board of Edinburgh University’s Royal Dick Veterinary School. - Chairs the International Development committee 'Connecting Communities' which twins thousands of health clinics and schools - like James Gillespie's. - Member of the council of the Royal Observatory of Scotland. Publications -Welfare Rights Guide for Disabled People. -Council Housing on the Point of Collapse. -300 Gains from the Labour Government. -Who Owns Scotland – researcher to author John McEwan.
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