Mark Griffin (politician)

Mark Griffin
MSP
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Central Scotland
Assumed office
5 May 2011
Personal details
Born (1985-10-19) 19 October 1985
Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Political party Scottish Labour Party
Spouse(s) Stephanie Griffin
Residence Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire
Alma mater University of Strathclyde (2003–07)

Mark Griffin (born 19 October 1985) is a Scottish Labour Party Member of the Scottish Parliament, representing the Central Scotland region.[1]

Raised in Kilsyth, he attended St Patrick's Primary School (Kilsyth) and then St Maurice's High School (Cumbernauld), before studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde, where he graduated with a BEng (Hons) degree, in 2007. Griffin is a trained Mechanical Engineer and prior to his election to North Lanarkshire Council in 2008, he was a serving soldier in the British Territorial Army (TA).[2]

In May 2012, he was appointed the Scottish Labour Spokesman for Sport. He held the role until July 2013, when he became Shadow Minister for Transport and Veterans. When Jim Murphy was elected Scottish Labour Party leader in December 2014, Griffin was appointed as Shadow Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland's Languages, covering school education, qualifications, science, HM Inspectorate of Education, the Scottish Qualifications Authority and languages.

Griffin was also a North Lanarkshire Councillor from 2008-12.[3]

Upon his election at the age of 25, he became not only the youngest MSP of the 2011-16 Scottish Parliament, but the youngest in its history.[4] Following the 2016 election this record was taken by 21 year old Ross Greer, who was elected for the Scottish Green Party.[5]

Griffin sits on the Scottish Parliament's Education and Culture Committee and is a member of a number of Cross-Party Parliamentary Groups, including the Cross Party Groups on Deafness, Sport and Industrial Communities. Through his work with the CPG on Deafness, he is in the process of putting a British Sign Language (BSL) (Scotland) Bill through Parliament. He became one of the first MSPs elected in 2011 to put forward plans for a Members Bill. The Bill was supported in principle by the Scottish Government in late 2014.[6]

In January 2014, Griffin was chosen as the Scottish Labour Party candidate for the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth Scottish Parliament seat at the 2016 election.

References

  1. ↑ The Scottish Parliament - Current Members, scottish.parliament.uk; accessed 15 May 2016.
  2. ↑ Profile, cumbernauld-media.com; accessed 15 May 2016.
  3. ↑ Scottish Election 2011: Seven MSPs on Central Scotland list, acadvertiser.co.uk; accessed 15 May 2016.
  4. ↑ Local Headlines, KilsythChronicle.co.uk; accessed 15 May 2016.
  5. ↑ Ross Greer profile, bbc.co.uk; accessed 15 May 2016.
  6. ↑ The Scottish Parliament - Current Members - Mark Griffin, scottish.parliament.uk; accessed 15 May 2016.
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