Wendy Alexander

Wendy Alexander is a Member of the Scottish Parliament, former special advisor to the Secretary of State for Scotland, the late Donald Dewar and former Minister in the Scottish parliament. She is one of the leading neoliberal and atlanticist ideologues in the Scottish Parliament and an alumnus of the British American Project along with her brother Douglas Alexander MP and collaborator Diane Coyle. She is married to Brian Ashcroft of the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde, with whom she edited a recent book New Wealth for Old Nations: Scotland's Economic Prospects (Edited by Diane Coyle, Wendy Alexander, and Brian Ashcroft), published by Princeton University Press. She was a Visiting Professor at the Institute (1/9/02 to 31/12/05). She was paid £15,000 for this on top of her MSP salary.

From 1999 to 2002 Wendy was a minister in the Scottish Executive, first as Minister for Communities, then as Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, and finally as Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning. She resigned from Ministerial office on 4 May 2002.

She is currently a member of the Finance and Education Committees of the Scottish Parliament.

Her brother Douglas is a Labour Member of Parliament for Paisley South.

Her father, the Reverend Douglas Alexander, presided at the funeral of Donald Dewar. "For almost 50 years, Donald and I were friends. We were together in the Labour Club of the University of Glasgow - all those years ago." he said.

Educated at Glasgow University MA(Hons), Warwick University MA(Econ) and INSEAD, France MBA

Affiliations

Career History

2002 - present Visiting Professor, University of Strathclyde

1997-1998 Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Scotland

1994-1997 Management Consultant Booz Allen & Hamilton

1988-1992 Research Officer Scottish Labour Party

1987-1988 Editor, Ledis

1987-1988 Parliamentary assistant

The list above comes from her page on the Scottish Parliament website.

Perhaps unsurprisingly it doesn't mention that Alexander is also an alumnus of the British American Project or that her work as a Parliamentary assistant was to George Galloway MP the then MP for Glasgow Hillhead.

Other affiliations

• Scottish Industry Forum

Financial support from corporations and others

Member received donations towards the production of a 2003 Christmas card from the following: Reid Furniture Ltd (£400), Reid Kerr College (£300), Phoenix Honda (£300), BAA (£400) (Registered 26 May 2004)

Member received donations towards production and posting of Christmas 2004 calendar from the following: Malcolm Group (£500), Reid Furniture Ltd (£500), Arriva (£500), Chivas (£500), Reid Kerr College (£500), BAA (£500). (Registered 27 January 2005)[1]

Global elite networks

• January 2001 (18-21 Jan), France Franco-British Colloque Network with opinion leaders from Britain & France. Ms Alexander gave a speech on the new economy and regional development from a Scottish perspective.

Under Investigation

In January 2008, The Herald (Glasgow) hinted at a 'continuing' investigation by the Electoral Commission in regards to a 'foreign gift to Wendy Alexander's Scottish leadership campaign'

External link

• Scottish Parliament biography