Alex Rowley
Alexander Andrew Penman Rowley (born 30 November 1963) is a Scottish politician who served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2015 to 2017 and acting leader of the party from August to November 2017. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) since 2014, firstly for the Cowdenbeath constituency and the Mid Scotland and Fife region since 2016. He has been described as being on the political left of the party.
Alex Rowley MSP | |
|---|---|
Rowley in 2020 | |
| Leader of the Scottish Labour Party | |
| Acting 29 August 2017 – 15 November 2017 | |
| UK party leader | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Preceded by | Kezia Dugdale |
| Succeeded by | Jackie Baillie (acting) |
| Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party | |
| In office 15 August 2015 – 16 December 2017 | |
| Leader | Kezia Dugdale |
| Preceded by | Kezia Dugdale |
| Succeeded by | Lesley Laird |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for Mid Scotland and Fife (1 of 7 Regional MSPs) | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2016 | |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for Cowdenbeath | |
| In office 23 January 2014 – 23 March 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Helen Eadie |
| Succeeded by | Annabelle Ewing |
| Scottish Labour portfolios | |
| 2016–2017 | Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Community, Social Security and Equalities |
| 2018–2019 | Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government |
| 2019–2020 | Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Brexit and the Constitution |
| 2021–present | Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alexander Andrew Penman Rowley 30 November 1963 Dunfermline, Scotland, UK |
| Political party | Scottish Labour |
| Children | 3, including Danielle |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh |
| Website | Official website |
Born in Dunfermline, Rowley studied community education at the University of Edinburgh before serving as General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party and on Fife Council. First elected to the Scottish Parliament at a by-election in January 2014, he lost Cowdenbeath to Annabelle Ewing of the SNP at the 2016 election. However, he was returned as an additional member for Mid Scotland and Fife.
Following the resignation of Kezia Dugdale, he served as acting Leader of the Scottish Labour Party during the 2017 Scottish Labour leadership election. He served as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government from 2018 to 2019 and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Brexit and Constitutional Relations from 2019 to 2020. He is currently Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity.