Alan Brown (Scottish politician)

Alan Brown
Official portrait, 2019
SNP Spokesperson for Energy Security and Net Zero in the House of Commons[a]
In office
10 December 2022 – 4 September 2023
LeaderStephen Flynn
Preceded byStephen Flynn
Succeeded byDave Doogan
SNP Spokesperson for Energy and Climate Change in the House of Commons
In office
7 January 2020 – 10 December 2022
LeaderIan Blackford
Preceded byCallum McCaig
Succeeded byHimself (Energy and Industrial Strategy)
SNP Spokesperson for Transport in the House of Commons
In office
20 June 2017 – 7 January 2020
LeaderIan Blackford
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byGavin Newlands
SNP Spokesperson for Infrastructure and Energy in the House of Commons
In office
20 June 2017 – 1 July 2018
LeaderIan Blackford
Preceded byDrew Hendry
Succeeded byRonnie Cowan
Member of Parliament
for Kilmarnock and Loudoun
In office
7 May 2015 – 30 May 2024
Preceded byCathy Jamieson
Succeeded byLillian Jones
Personal details
Born (1970-08-12) 12 August 1970 (age 54)
Newmilns, Scotland
Political partyScottish National Party
Children2 sons
Alma materUniversity of Glasgow
WebsiteOfficial website

Alan Brown (born 12 August 1970) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kilmarnock and Loudoun from 2015 until 2024.[1] Brown previously served as the SNP spokesperson on Energy Security and Net Zero (2022–2023), Energy and Climate Change (2020–2022), Transport (2017–2020) and Infrastructure and Energy (2017–2018) in the House of Commons.[2][3]

Early life and career

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Alan Brown was born on 12 August 1970 to parents Eric and Irene in Kilmarnock; Brown has lived there all his life.[4] He attended his local primary school and Loudoun Academy. He subsequently attended Glasgow University, where he graduated with an honours degree in civil engineering.[5] After university Brown worked as a civil engineer in both the public and private sectors.[5]

He was first elected as a SNP councillor in the 2007 East Ayrshire Council election for the Irvine Valley ward, topping the poll with 1,497 first preferences. He was re-elected in the 2012 East Ayrshire Council election, taking the second seat on this occasion with 1,252 first preferences but again exceeding the quota. A senior figure in the SNP delegation, he has held positions in Housing and Strategic Planning & Resources.[6]

Political career

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Member of Parliament

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At the 2015 general election, Brown was elected to Parliament as MP for Kilmarnock and Loudon with 55.7% of the vote and a majority of 13,638.[7][8][9] He made his maiden speech on 22 June, in which he quoted the poem Is There for Honest Poverty by Robert Burns.[10][11]

Brown has revealed that Hansard reporters in Parliament often ask him to provide written 'translations'' of his questions to the Commons due to his thick Ayrshire accent being difficult to understand. Even so, he has said he would not alter his accent because his constituents "know me locally and know how I talk, they would actually question what was happening if my accent changed when I came down to Westminster".[12][13][14][15]

Brown was re-elected as MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun at the snap 2017 general election with a decreased vote share of 42.3% and a decreased majority of 6,269 votes.[16][17] At the 2019 general election, Brown was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 50.8% and an increased majority of 12,659.[18][19]

Brown contested the Kilmarnock and Loudoun parliamentary constituency at the 2024 United Kingdom general election. He lost the seat, which he had held since 2015, to Scottish Labour candidate Lillian Jones, who won with a majority of 5,119 votes. At the election, Brown received 13,936 votes, in contrast to Jones' 19,055 votes.[20]

Trident

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In 2016, Brown was one of 58 Scottish MPs who voted against the renewal of the UK's Trident nuclear programme. He claimed the programme had not served as a deterrent and that each job created through it cost the UK taxpayer £6.5 million.[21][22]

SNP frontbencher

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On 20 June 2017, Brown was appointed to the Frontbench Team of Ian Blackford as the SNP spokesperson on Transport, Infrastructure and Energy in the Palace of Westminster.[23] In 2019 during a reshuffle, Brown was appointed to the role of SNP spokesperson on Energy and Climate Change by Iain Blackford.[24]

Brown also held the position of spokesperson for the SNP in Westminster for Transport, a position held from 2017 until 2020. Brown sat on the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee within the House of Commons until losing his seat at the 2024 general election.[25]

Personal life

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Brown is married and has two sons.[5]

Notes

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  1. ^ SNP Spokesperson for Energy and Industrial Strategy from 2022 to 2023

References

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  1. ^ "Kilmarnock & Loudoun Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  2. ^ SNP, the (10 December 2022). "The real opposition: meet your new SNP Westminster Frontbench". Scottish National Party. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  3. ^ "SNP announces frontbench reshuffle at Westminster". BBC News. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Alan Brown as SNP MP for Kilmarnock & Loudoun".
  5. ^ a b c Burns, Janice (1 June 2015). "Meet your new Scottish MPs: #17 Alan Brown, Kilmarnock and Loudoun". The National. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  6. ^ Brown, Alan. "Cllr Alan Brown". SNP Party Website. SNP. Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  7. ^ "Kilmarnock and Loudoun". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  8. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  9. ^ "UK Parliamentary Elections. East Ayrshire Council". east-ayrshire.gov.uk. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Local MP makes maiden speech at Westminster". Cumnock Chronicle. 24 June 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  11. ^ "Education and Adoption Bill – Hansard". hansard.parliament.uk. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  12. ^ "Scottish MP Alan Brown says ministers don't understand his thick accent". Sky News. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  13. ^ "SNP MP Alan Brown claims Scots accent confuses parliament". TotalPolitics.com. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  14. ^ "SNP MP reveals struggle to be understood in Parliament". Holyrood Magazine. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  15. ^ PoliticsHome.com (3 April 2017). "SNP MP reveals struggle to be understood in Parliament". PoliticsHome.com. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  16. ^ "Kilmarnock and Loudoun re-elects Alan Brown as MP on night of shocks". 9 June 2017.
  17. ^ Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll east-ayrshire.gov.uk [dead link‍]
  18. ^ "Elections and voting". East Ayrshire Council. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  19. ^ "Kilmarnock & Loudoun parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  20. ^ "UK Parliamentary General Election: Kilmarnock & Loudoun Constituency Results". East Ayrshire Council News. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  21. ^ Russell, Ian (20 July 2016). "MP Alan Brown says decision to renew Trident was "extremely disappointing"". dailyrecord. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  22. ^ "How your MP voted on Trident". the Guardian. Press Association. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  23. ^ "Alan Brown MP". Facebook.
  24. ^ "Parliamentary career for Alan Brown – MPs and Lords – UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  25. ^ Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee
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