Name Hugh McCartney | ||
StoomCast Episode 12 Hugh McCartney
Hugh McCartney (3 January 1920 – 28 February 2006) was a Scottish Labour politician.
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Early life
Born in Glasgow, the son of a tram driver, McCartney studied at John Street Senior Secondary School in the Bridgeton area of the city and at the Royal Technical College (later the University of Strathclyde) in the city centre. He joined the Independent Labour Party's Guild of Youth at the age of 14 and began a textile apprenticeship. He joined the Labour Party at 16. During World War II, he entered engineering at Rolls Royce in Coventry and for the Royal Air Force, active as a trade unionist.
Political career
In 1955, McCartney became a councillor on Kirkintilloch town council, and in 1965 a Dunbartonshire county councillor, serving on both until 1970. In 1970 he was elected to Parliament for the Clydeside seat of Dunbartonshire East, defeating Communist shipbuilders' trade union leader Jimmy Reid. McCartney too became active in supporting the Clydeside shipbuilding industry.
From 1974, McCartney represented Dunbartonshire Central, then Clydebank and Milngavie from 1983 after further boundary changes. A low-profile Member of Parliament, he was a Scottish whip and active in the TGWU and Scottish groups of Labour MPs. He retired from Parliament in 1987.
Personal life
McCartney was married to fellow trade unionist Margaret, with whom he had two daughters, Irene and Margaret, and one son, Sir Ian McCartney. Ian also had a career on politics and his roles included: Minister of State for Trade, Chairman of the Labour Party and Member of Parliament for Makerfield between 1987-2010.