James Kelly (Scottish politician)

James Anthony Kelly (born 23 October 1963) is a Scottish politician who has served as General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party since 2021. He was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow region between 2016 and 2021, having previously been MSP for Rutherglen (formerly Glasgow Rutherglen) from 2007 to 2016.

James Kelly
Official portrait, 2016
General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party
Assumed office
5 September 2021
LeaderAnas Sarwar
Preceded byDrew Smith (acting)
Parliamentary offices
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Glasgow
(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
In office
5 May 2016 – 6 May 2021
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Rutherglen
Glasgow Rutherglen (2007–2011)
In office
3 May 2007 – 24 March 2016
Preceded byJanis Hughes
Succeeded byClare Haughey
Scottish Labour portfolios
2012–2013Chief Whip of the Scottish Labour Party
2013–2014Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities
2014–2017Shadow Minister for Parliamentary Business
2017–2019Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance[lower-alpha 1]
2019–2020Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice
Mar–May 2021Shadow Minister for Parliamentary Business
Personal details
Born
James Anthony Kelly

(1963-10-23) 23 October 1963
Political partyScottish Labour and Co-operative
SpouseAlexa Kelly
Children2
OccupationComputer analyst
Websitehttps://www.jameskelly.scot/

Kelly has held a number of Scottish Labour frontbench posts including Finance Spokesperson and Justice Spokesperson under Richard Leonard from 2017 to 2020. He served as the Scottish Labour Party's Parliamentary Business Manager at Holyrood as well as Spokesperson for Community Safety and Drugs Policy.

Early life and career

Kelly grew up in the Halfway area of Cambuslang, and was educated at the co-educational, Roman Catholic Trinity High School, Rutherglen.[1] He studied at Glasgow College of Technology and went on to work in computing and finance. A chartered accountant, he worked as a business analyst in East Kilbride.[2] He served as the election agent for the former Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP Tommy McAvoy at the 1997, 2001 and 2005 general elections. He was also chair of the Rutherglen and Hamilton West Constituency Labour Party.[3]

Political career

Kelly was elected as MSP for Rutherglen in 2007 Scottish Parliament election.[4] Upon entering the Scottish Parliament, he served on the Finance Committee and as a Labour Whip.[5] From 2008 to 2011, he was a member of the Justice Committee and Shadow Minister for Community Safety.[6]

Kelly in 2011

Kelly was re-elected at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election.[7] Following the election of Johann Lamont as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party in the 2011 leadership election, he was appointed Chief Whip in Holyrood. He was subsequently made Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities in a reshuffle in June 2013.[8]

After the election of Jim Murphy as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Kelly was appointed to succeed Paul Martin as Labour's Parliamentary Business Manager.[9]

Under Kezia Dugdale's leadership, he remained parliamentary business manager.[10] In December 2014, he was named as the party's election coordinator for the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.[11][12]

In December 2015, Kelly was ejected from the parliamentary debating chamber by presiding officer Tricia Marwick when he refused to sit down after attempting to make a point of order during a trade union bill debate.[13][14]

Kelly sought selection for the Glasgow regional list prior to the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.[15] While Kelly lost his Holyrood constituency seat to the SNP's Clare Haughey in 2016, he was elected as a list MSP for the Glasgow region.[16][17][18] Haughey's majority of 3,743 made it a target seat for Labour in the future. The equivalent Westminster seat Rutherglen and Hamilton West was won back by Labour's Gerard Killen in the 2017 UK general election, despite being one of the biggest swings towards the SNP two years prior.[19][20] He was the party's campaign manager for the 2017 general election.[21]

When Kezia Dugdale resigned as Scottish Labour leader, Kelly's name was touted as a potential successor.[3] In December 2017, Richard Leonard appointed Kelly as his Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution.[22][23] In October 2018, following a reshuffle of the Scottish Labour frontbench in Holyrood, Kelly continued to hold the finance portfolio while Neil Findlay took forward the constitutional brief.[24]

He was reselected in September 2019 as the Scottish Labour and Co-operative candidate for Rutherglen constituency at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

He served as the Convener of the Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Co-operatives and was the deputy Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Sport.

Repeal of the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act

Following his re-election to the Scottish Parliament in May 2016, Kelly took forward his pledge to lead a member's bill to repeal the Offensive Behaviour at Football 2012 Act.[25] He described the 2012 legislation as having "completely failed to tackle sectarianism" and as "illiberal" which "unfairly targets football fans", "condemned by legal experts, human rights organisations and equality groups".[26][27]

On 25 January 2018, MSPs voted by 65 to 61 in favour of the general principles of Kelly's Bill in the first stage of Holyrood's legislative process. It marked the first binding defeat in Parliament for the SNP Minority Government.[28] On 15 March, the vote to repeal the Act was passed with 62 in favour and 60 against.[29]

On 31 March 2019, violent incidents occurred during and after the Old Firm (Celtic vs Rangers) derby.[30] A day later, Scottish Police Federation vice-chairman David Hamilton appeared on the BBC Radio Scotland John Beattie Programme and stated:

Personally I believe the repeal of the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act has had an impact, because I think that some people feel wrongly legitimised to behave in a way that they wouldn’t otherwise behave.[31][32]

Justice Spokesperson

In September 2019, Kelly was appointed as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice.[33] He resigned from this role in September 2020 while calling for Richard Leonard's resignation as Scottish Labour leader. In his resignation letter, seen by the Daily Record, James Kelly told Richard Leonard: “I have no confidence in your ability to shape the party's message, strategy and organisation. I know that this is a view shared by other parliamentarians, party members and indeed many members of the public.”[34]

Return to frontbench

Kelly nominated Anas Sarwar in the 2021 Scottish Labour leadership election.[35] Following Sarwar's election as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, he was re-appointed as Parliamentary Business Manager as well as spokesperson for Community Safety and Drugs Policy ahead of the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.[36] In the election he lost out to Clare Haughey in the constituency, and though four Labour candidates were elected on the regional vote, Kelly had been fifth on the party list so was not returned as an MSP.[37]

Personal life

Kelly currently lives in Cambuslang with his wife, Alexa, and their two daughters.[38] He has spoken about his interests in sport, namely football, tennis and running.[39]

Notes
  1. Finance and the Constitution (2017–18)

References
  1. Smith, Kenny (7 August 2010). "New Trinity High is officially opened". Daily Record / Rutherglen Reformer. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  2. "James Kelly Biography". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  3. "In the spotlight: These are the names tipped to be the next Scottish Labour leader". CommonSpace. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  4. "2007 election results". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  5. "Finance Committee - membership". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  6. "James Kelly MSP". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  7. "2011 Rutherglen election result". BBC News. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  8. "Johann Lamont in Scottish Labour front bench shake-up". BBC News. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  9. "Jim Murphy reveals Scottish Labour shadow cabinet". The Scotsman. 16 December 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  10. "Kez unveils her new front bench team". Scottish Labour Party. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  11. Dickie, Douglas. "James Kelly MSP to lead Labour's election campaign for Scottish Government vote in 2016". Rutherglen Reformer.
  12. "James Kelly MSP to lead Labour's election campaign for Scottish Government vote in 2016". Rutherglen Reformer. 26 December 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  13. "MSP ejected from chamber in row over union bill". BBC News. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  14. Bussey, Katrine (15 December 2015). "Labour MSP thrown out of Scottish Parliament during a point of order spat with Presiding Officer". Daily Record. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  15. "Labour MSP James Kelly, who has called on Celtic to become a living wage employer, joins fight for list slots". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  16. "Scottish Parliament election 2016 constituency result: Rutherglen". The Scotsman. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  17. "James Kelly MSP". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  18. "2016 Glasgow region election result". Glasgow City Council. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  19. Kerr, Aiden (9 June 2017). "Labour gain first Scottish seat from SNP in election". STV Group. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  20. Spooner, Murray (9 June 2017). "Labour takes Rutherglen and Hamilton West". Daily Record / Rutherglen Reformer. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  21. "Election 2017: Scottish Greens to stand fewer than 10 candidates". BBC News. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  22. Edwards, Peter. "New Scottish shadow cabinet in full". LabourList. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  23. "Leonard unveils new Scottish Labour front bench team". BBC News. 19 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  24. Brooks, Libby (4 October 2018). "Scottish Labour leader sacks two MSPs in 'purge' reshuffle". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  25. "Labour MSP James Kelly will attempt to repeal anti-sectarian football legislation". Holyrood Magazine. 5 January 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  26. "Official Report - 25 January 2018". Scottish Parliament.
  27. Kelly, James. "Why the SNP must scrap the act". ScrapTheAct. Archived from the original on 18 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  28. "Football Act repeal bid passes first vote". BBC News. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  29. "MSPs vote to repeal football bigotry law". BBC News. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  30. "Children screamed as street brawl turned Mother's Day into 'bloodbath'". HeraldScotland.
  31. "BBC Radio Scotland John Beattie Programme - 10:44". 1 April 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  32. "Police chief blasts Old Firm and believes SPL is 'in crisis'". Scottish Police Federation. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  33. "Leonard unveils new Scottish Labour front bench team". BBC News. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  34. Andrews, Kieran. "Labour MSP breaks ranks to demand Richard Leonard's departure". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  35. "Scottish Leadership Election 2021 - Nominations". Scottish Labour. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  36. Rodgers, Sienna. "Sarwar unveils new 'campaign cabinet' to lead Scottish Labour into election". LabourList. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  37. Nutt, Kathleen (7 May 2021). "Scottish election: Blow for Labour as it fails to take Rutherglen target seat". The National.
  38. "James Kelly MSP". Scottish Labour Party. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  39. Kelly, James. "James Kelly MSP on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
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