Background
FYFE, Maria was born on November 25, 1938. Daughter of the late James O’Neill and the late Margaret O’Neill (née Lacey).
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Maria Fyfe
Edit ProfileEducation
Notre Dame High School, Glasgow. Strathclyde University, 1970-1975.
Career
She returned to education as a mature student, studying Economic History at the University of Strathclyde and graduating in 1975. She worked as a senior lecturer in the Trade Union Studies Unit at Glasgow Central College of Commerce from 1978 to 1987. In 1980, she was elected to Glasgow District Council, serving as Vice-Convener of the Finance Committee from then until 1984, when she became Convener of the Personnel Committee.
She remained in this position until 1987, when she was elected to Parliament.
At the 1987 general election, Fyfe was returned to Parliament as Member for Glasgow Maryhill, a position she occupied until the 2001 general election. She served as Deputy Shadow Minister for Women from 1988 to 1991, Convener of the Scottish Group of Labour MPs from 1991 to 1992, and front bench spokesperson for Scotland from 1992 to 1995.
She chaired concurrently the Labour Party Departmental Committee on International Development and the Labour Group in the United Kingdom Delegation to the Council of Europe, both from 1997 to 2001. At the 2001 General Election and was succeeded by Ann McKechin.
Fyfe was awarded an honorary Doctorate.Univ. by the University of Glasgow in 2002.
She was quoted as saying: "I am proudest of having been involved in the 50-50 campaign to ensure that the Scottish Parliament started life with an almost equal representation of women, up there with the Scandinavian countries".
Membership
50th United Kingdom Parliament. 51st United Kingdom Parliament. 52nd United Kingdom Parliament.
Interests
Connections
[{"type":"father","name":"the late James Ou2019Neill"},{"type":"mother","name":"the late Margaret Ou2019Neill (nu00e9e Lacey)"},{"type":"spouse","name":"the late James Fyfe "}]
