Preceded by new constituency Preceded by Jock Bruce-Gardyne Education University of Glasgow Succeeded by Michael Weir Role Politician | Preceded by Peter Fraser Name Andrew Welsh Majority 8,243 (25.8%) Succeeded by Peter Fraser Party Scottish National Party | |
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Andrew Paton Welsh DL (born 19 April 1944 in Glasgow) is a Scottish politician. He was the Scottish National Party Member of Parliament (MP) for South Angus from 1974–1979, East Angus from 1987–1997 and Angus from 1997–2001. He was the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the constituency of Angus 1999–2011.
Contents
- Early life
- House of Commons
- Scottish Parliament
- Outside Parliament
- Previous positions
- Honours and awards
- References
Early life
He was educated at Govan High School and Glasgow University. Welsh worked as a teacher before he became a politician.
House of Commons
Welsh contested Central Dunbartonshire in February 1974.
He was elected to South Angus in the October 1974. Following the election he was announced as the SNP's spokesperson on housing. East Angus from 1987 to 1997 and Angus from 1997 to 2001.
Scottish Parliament
In June 1998, he was announced as a SNP candidate for the newly-formed Scottish Parliament in the elections that would take place the following year. Welsh was elected the first Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Scottish Parliament constituency of Angus in May 1999. He was appointed to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) during first years of the Parliament, when the various systems within the Parliament needed to be set up. He served on the SPCB until January 2006, making him the longest serving member of that body. He was Convener of the Finance Committee from June 2007 to March 2011. Andrew Welsh retired as an MSP when his term ended on 22 March 2011, ahead of the 2011 election.
Outside Parliament
From 1984 until 1987, he served as the Provost of Angus, the leader of Angus District Council and served on the Governing Court of the University of Dundee. Before being re-elected to the House of Commons at the 1987 General Election, he worked as a Senior Lecturer in Business Administration at Arbroath College in Angus.
A fluent speaker of French and Chinese (clarification required), he is an elder of the Church of Scotland in Arbroath, where he lives with his wife and daughter.
Previous positions
Honours and awards
In May 2012, Welsh became a freeman of the County of Angus. In January 2013, he was announced as a Deputy Lieutenant for Angus.