Background
McGovern was born in Glasgow but moved to Dundee at the age of 9.
McGovern was born in Glasgow but moved to Dundee at the age of 9.
He was educated at the Catholic Lawside Academy.
He left school at the age of 15 and at the age of 16 began an apprenticeship as a glazier. In 1987, after being made redundant, he worked as a glazier for Dundee City Council. Whilst working for the council he was active within the General and Municipal Boilermakers Union union.
In 1997 he began working full-time for the union as Trade Union Organiser.
He was first elected to the British House of Commons at the 2005 general election for Dundee West with a 14.6% majority, following the retirement of the sitting Labour Member of Parliament Ernie Ross. Since 2005 he has served on the Scottish Affairs Committee.
Between 2007 and 2008 he served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Pat McFadden, the Minister of State at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, before resigning over the row surrounding the privatisation of Royal Mail. He was re-elected in 2010 with a majority of 19.6%.
McGovern lost his appeal against the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority"s rejection of a £23.90 single rail ticket from Dundee to Glasgow in April 2013.
The Sunday Herald reported that Parliamentary authorities determined that the detour was unconnected to McGovern"s official work as an Member of Parliament. He had been attending a Labour Party event in Glasgow. On 3 April 2015, McGovern announced he would not stand at the 2015 general election due to ill health.
Scottish Labour Party, Labour Party.
IPSA revealed that its bill for defending against McGovern"s appeal was £27,000, to be met by the taxpayers.
54th United Kingdom Parliament. 55th United Kingdom Parliament.