Education
McCabe was educated at Saint Martin"s Secondary School, Hamilton, and obtained a Diploma in Public Sector Management from Bell College of Technology, Hamilton.
McCabe was educated at Saint Martin"s Secondary School, Hamilton, and obtained a Diploma in Public Sector Management from Bell College of Technology, Hamilton.
He became an Managing Successful Programmes in the first elections to the Scottish Parliament in 1999, later holding the positions of Minister for Parliament (1999–2001), Minister for Health and Community Care (2003–2004), and Minister for Finance. He worked for Hoover plc from 1974 to 1993, and then in social work with Strathclyde Regional Council and North Lanarkshire Council. McCabe was elected to the Scottish Parliament for Hamilton South in 1999.
As this was the first constituency to declare its results, he was the first ever Managing Successful Programmes to be elected.
He was first appointed Minister for Parliament in the Scottish Executive from 1999-2001. Following Jack McConnell"s appointment as First Minister he was out of office until after the Scottish Parliamentary Election, 2003 when he returned as Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care.
In October 2004 he was promoted to Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform in place of Andy Kerr
In March 2005 he set up the AEWG (Adult Entertainment Working Group), the Scottish advisory body set up within the Scottish Executive to investigate the legislative issues involved in the current proposed lapdancing ban in Scotland. McCabe was one of several Labour casualties following the elections on 5 May 2011, losing his seat to Christina McKelvie of the Scottish National Party in the newly formed Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency.
McCabe previously had a relationship with former Labour spin-doctor and journalist Lorraine Davidson.
McCabe died in April 2015 after a short illness.
He was Minister for Finance in the Scottish Executive, and was for Hamilton South until March 2011. The ban is currently opposed by such figures as Veronica Deneuve and the union group IUSW (the International Union of Sex Workers) a member of the General and Municipal Boilermakers Union union.
