Education
Edinburgh born he was educated at the Mauldeth Road Primary School, Parrs Wood High School, Broxburn Academy and Edinburgh Napier University, where he was awarded a SHND in Business Studies.
Edinburgh born he was educated at the Mauldeth Road Primary School, Parrs Wood High School, Broxburn Academy and Edinburgh Napier University, where he was awarded a SHND in Business Studies.
He was elected in 2010 with a majority of 10,791 votes, replacing Labour"s previous Member of Parliament Jim Devine. He lost his seat in the 2015 General Election, with a swing of 31 percent to the Scottish National Party.
He was the leader of the council, 1995-2007. Since being elected to the House of Commons he had been the Parliamentary Private Secretary to John Denham from 2010 to 2011 when Mr Denham was Labour"s Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
He was then the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Margaret Curran, when she was Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland.
From January 2013 until May 2015 he had been Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Harriet Harman Member of Parliament, who at that time was both Shadow Deputy Prime Minister and Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
55th United Kingdom Parliament]
He has been a member of West Lothian Council since 1987, leading the Labour group from 1992-2010. He was previously a member of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee.