Gus Macdonald
|
The Right Honourable The Lord Macdonald of Tradeston CBE PC |
|
|---|---|
|
Minister for the Cabinet Office Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster |
|
|
In office 11 June 2001 – 13 June 2003 |
|
| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Mo Mowlam |
| Succeeded by | Douglas Alexander |
| Minister of State for Transport | |
|
In office 29 July 1999 – 8 June 2001 |
|
| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Helen Liddell |
| Succeeded by | John Spellar |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
20 August 1940 Larkhall, United Kingdom |
| Political party | Labour |
Angus John "Gus" Macdonald, Baron Macdonald of Tradeston, CBE, PC (born 20 August 1940) is a member of the House of Lords, taking the Labour Party Whip.
Macdonald was born in Larkhall, Scotland. His father, a Highlander, had poor health and gambled. His mother, who was from a local mining family, worked multiple jobs to support and raise the family.
He won a scholarship to Allan Glen's School, Glasgow, but left at 14 to become an apprentice marine engineer at the shipyards of Alexander Stephen and Sons in Govan, Glasgow on the River Clyde and where he was one of the leaders for the apprentices' strike in 1959 along with fellow members, Billy Connolly and Alex Ferguson. Macdonald was leader of the Govan and Gorbals branch of the Labour Party's Young Socialists.
He moved to London in 1962 where he was briefly involved in revolutionary socialist politics as a member of the International Socialists, living at the London home of its foremost member, Tony Cliff. He has said that he returned to his political roots working at the Labour weekly Tribune around 1964, where he was appointed as the circulation manager by Michael Foot.
He has worked as a journalist on The Scotsman and as a member of the Insight team on The Sunday Times. Originally taken on as a researcher, he was with Granada Television from 1967 to 1986 where he was soon appointed joint editor of World in Action with John Birt; Macdonald had an association with the programme for many years. He also presented Granada's What the Papers Say as well as Right to Reply and "Union World" on Channel 4.
...
Wikipedia