Frank Doran (British politician)
Frank Doran (born April 13, 1949) Scottish politician He is the Labour Member of Parliament for Aberdeen North. He is the partner of fellow Labour MP Joan Ruddock.
Frank Doran was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He attended the Ainslie Park Secondary School; the Leith Academy and the University of Dundee where he was awarded a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1975. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1977 and was in practice until 1988. He unsuccessfully contested the European Parliament seat of Scotland North East in 1984. He was elected to the House of Commons at the 1987 General Election for Aberdeen South by defeating the sitting Conservative MP Gerald Malone by 1,198 votes. He was promoted to the opposition frontbench by Neil Kinnock in 1988 as a spokesperson on energy, leading on oil and gas, as part of a team that was led first by Tony Blair and later by Frank Dobson. Frank Doran was defeated in Aberdeen South at the 1992 General Election by the Conservative Raymond Robertson by 1,517 votes, this was the only seat which Labour lost to the conservatives at that election. Although out of parliament he returned to Westminster as a researcher for the Labour MP Joan Ruddock, until he was re-elected at the 1997 General Election for the new constituency of Aberdeen Central, securing a majority of 10,801, and has remained a MP since.
He was appointed as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Industry Ian McCartney in 1997, and remained in position when McCartney transferred to the Cabinet Office in 1999 after which he became a member of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.
Following changes to the electoral boundaries in Scotland, the constituency of Aberdeen Central was abolished prior to the 2005 General Election, Doran was forced to compete against the (at-the-time) Aberdeen North MP, Malcolm Savidge, for the Labour party candidacy in a much-altered North seat. Frank Doran won the nomination by four votes, and was elected to represent the new Aberdeen North seat with a majority of 6,795 votes.
The win gave Frank Doran the unique distinction of having represented Aberdeen South, Aberdeen Central and Aberdeen North during his parliamentary career.
Frank Doran is currently the chairman of the Administration Select Committee, and in this role he also sits on the Finance and Services, Liaison and Works of Art committees.
External links
- Frank Doran official site
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Frank Doran MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Frank Doran MP
- The Public Whip - Frank Doran MP voting record
- BBC News - Frank Doran political profile
- BBC profile of Aberdeen North constituency
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