________________________________
From: Ann McKechin
Sent: 20 September 2010 12:56
Subject: Ann McKechin for Labour’s Shadow Cabinet

   

  Ann McKechin

  Labour MP for Glasgow North

I am seeking your support for the Shadow Cabinet Elections.

Being in opposition is hard at any time but the coming months and years will be one of the most difficult periods in decades that this country and our Party will face.

We need to effectively represent the voices of those who will be hit hardest by the Coalition’s agenda to achieve a permanent “small state” solution but we also need to develop the right policies that will convince the electorate that there is a genuine alternative. Within the Parliamentary party we need to develop a new range of tactical skills that will require the Shadow Cabinet to work as closely as possible with backbench colleagues to maximise our efforts.

I believe I can offer a range of skills and experience to the role that will fit these challenges.

Resilience

I was chair of the Scottish Parliamentary group during the Glasgow East by-election and learnt by hard experience of the need to keep your resolve even in the toughest of times and maintain team morale. I took up my Ministerial position in the Scotland Office in the week of the Lehman Brothers collapse at a time when Labour’s support had slumped, but was determined to show that our decisions at the height of the financial crisis to take over Scotland’s major banks were the correct choice..

I took an active role in the campaigns that led to our subsequent victories in both the Glenrothes and Glasgow North East by-elections which paved the way towards our strongest electoral performance in Scotland for many years at the General Election.

Policy Development

I was Chair of the Manifesto group on International Development before the General Election.

As Chair of the All Party Group on Debt, Aid and trade I was one of the first parliamentarians to actively call for a currency transaction tax and to produce a detailed report on how it could be achieved.

Campaigning

Before I was first elected in 2001, I spent many years actively campaigning as a volunteer for OXFAM and as the Scottish representative for the World Development Movement.

As a Backbencher, I successfully lobbied for a full public inquiry on the causes of the Stockline Factory explosion in my constituency. This has led to a number of significant changes in Health & Safety practices including the current replacement of every metal LPG pipe in the country.

In this year’s Election I faced a Libdem target campaign against my seat and managed to increase both my share of the vote and majority at a fraction of the cost of my opponent’s campaign.

Understanding Opposition

As a Scotland Office Minister and now a frontbench spokesperson, I have spent the last two years on a daily basis working on how to put across our message and develop our policies against an SNP led administration.

I hope to speak to as many members of the Group as possible but if you have any queries please don’t hesitate to contact me via email or by phone on xxxxxxxxx.

Kind regards,

Ann