Jack McConnell

Background

Jack McConnell is the third First Minister in the devolved Scotland. He is widely known as a 'machine' politician, having emerged from the 'Lanarkshire mafia'.

Lobbygate

McConnell gives evidence
at the lobbygate inquiry

McConnell was centrally involved in the first lobbying scandal of the Scottish Parliament known as 'Lobbygate'. A former General Secretary of the Labour Party in Scotland, McConnell was recruited to a lobbying firm which was a joint venture between Beattie Media and Scottish law firm Maclay Murray & Spens, called Public Affairs Europe Ltd.^[1]

Pro-Nuke

McConnell has launched an internal Labour party consultation on whether new nuclear power stations can be built in Scotland, but it is widely predicted that if Blair gives the green light for nuclear, Scotland's Labour party will follow suit.

Scotland's First Minister is said to be "paving the way for a Scottish Labour U-turn which would remove its opposition to new nuclear power stations being built in Scotland." ^[2]

References

• ^ Philip Schlesinger, David Miller and Will Dinan Open Scotland, Journalists, Spin Doctors and Lobbyists, Edinburgh: Polygon 2001.
• ^ Paul Hutcheon, "First Minister Asks Scottish Labour to Consider New Nuclear Power Stations", Sunday Herald, January 15, 2006