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John Barrett
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Shadow Work and Pensions Minister
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Biography
John Barrett has been a member of the Westminster Parliament since 2001 and Shadow Minister of State for Scotland since December 2005. John was appointed to the International Development team in January 2007. He has been reselected to stand here at the next general election.
Born February 11, 1954, John Barrett was educated at Forrester High School, Telford College and Napier College, all in Edinburgh.
He was elected councillor for South East Corstorphine ward in the Edinbugh West constituency in 1995 and in 1997 was General Election agent in that constituency for the campaign in which, at his fifth attempt, Donald Gorrie won the seat with an 8.5 swing from the Conservatives and a decisive majority of 7,253. In 2001, when Donald Gorrie chose to stand down as Westminster parliamentary candidate to concentrate on the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, John Barrett, who had contested Linlithgow in the Scottish Parliamentary elections in May 1999, was chosen to succeed him. John was elected with a share of vote only fractionally less than that which Donald Gorrie had achieved.
A member of the Scottish Liberal Democrat Party executive since 2001, John was appointed as a party parliamentary spokesman on international development in 2003 and in December 2005 was promoted to be Shadow Minister of State for Scotland. After serving as part of the International Development team in 2007, John now serves alongside Paul Rowen in the Work and Pensions team where he has the particular responsibility for disability issues.
In addition to his political career, John has been a company director and a director of the Ediburgh International Film Festival. His wife Carol is a well-known wildlife artist, and the couple have one daughter.
Parliamentary experience:
2008 to present: Work and Pensions team (including disability issues); 2007 to 2008: International Development team; 2005 to 2007: Shadow Minister of State for Scotland
Interests:
Cinema, music, travel
Memberships:
Scottish Liberal Democrat Executive Committee; Scottish Liberal Club (Vice President); Advisory Board of Edinburgh International Film Festival; Greenpeace; Amnesty International.
General election 2005 result
Seat: Edinburgh West
Current MP: John Barrett
| Liberal Democrats | 50% | 22417 votes | |
| Labour | 19% | 8433 votes | |
| Conservatives | 20% | 8817 votes | |
| SNP | 9% | 4124 votes | |
| Others | 3% | 1474 votes |