Career
He was previously the member for the former seat of Hamilton North and Bellshill. McMahon has been the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Local Government for Labour in the Scottish Parliament since 2007. He is noted for attempting to abolish the not proven verdict.
Married to Margaret, with three children.
He went to Our Lady"s High School, Motherwell (1973-1977). Worked as a welder at Terex Equipment Limited, Motherwell (1977-1992).
McMahon has been a trade union activist since school, and was Chair of the General and Municipal Boilermakers Union and the STUC Youth Committees. In 1992, went to Glasgow Caledonian University and graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor (Honours) in Social Sciences (Politics and Sociology).
Then worked as a political researcher (1996-1999), before being elected to parliament.
He is an adviser to the Irish Diaspora in Scotland Association.