This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Enterprise Minister announces resignation
03/05/2002
Wendy Alexander, Minister for Enterprise, Transport and
Lifelong Learning, has tendered her resignation from
the Scottish Cabinet.
First Minister Jack McConnell has accepted her resignation
while expressing regret at her decision and thanking her for
the significant contribution she has made. He made clear his
commitment to driving forward with the Smart, Successful
Scotland economic strategy will remain central to the
Executive's vision for Scotland.
Ms Alexander says she made her decision at the turn of the
year but stayed on to see through delivery of the transport
strategy. She says she has been proud to serve in the Cabinet
and intends to stay on in Parliament as MSP for Paisley
North.
The text of the exchange of letters is carried below.
Letter from First Minister to Wendy
Alexander:
Dear Wendy:
I was very sorry to receive your letter of resignation as
Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning.
We have worked together for over 20 years and over that time
your commitment to achieving real and positive change in the
lives of people across Scotland and elsewhere has been one that
we have shared. As a Minister in this Cabinet from the outset,
you have brought that commitment and expertise to our
collective work and I am indeed grateful to you for the
consistent energy you have given to every task you have
undertaken.
In your recent responsibilities you have successfully driven
our forward-looking transport and economic strategy. I want to
assure you and those in the business, transport and learning
communities with whom you have worked, of my personal
commitment to continuing to develop and consolidate the
relationships which have been forged there. Together with your
cabinet colleagues we will continue to drive forward our
strategy for a Smart, Successful Scotland which is central to
our vision for this country and the prospects of the people we
represent.
I understand the pressures of political life and the demands
it makes of all of us. Whilst I regret your decision to resign
I understand too, your wish to take a well deserved break from
those pressures and I accept the your resignation.
I look forward to continuing to work with you in the
Parliament and offer you my very best wishes for the
future.
Yours Jack
Letter from Wendy Alexander to First Minister Jack
McConnell:
Dear Jack,
It was five years ago this weekend that, on his appointment
to Government, I went to work with Donald Dewar in the Scottish
Office. During the five hectic years since Labour in the UK,
and in Scotland, with our coalition partners, has achieved much
of which we can be proud.
I am privileged to have been a member of the Cabinet since
the creation of the Scottish Parliament, now so firmly
established.
I now however, feel the time is right for me to stand down
from Ministerial office and ask you to accept my resignation
from the Scottish Cabinet. In so doing, I am acting on a
decision that I took at the turn of the year, but I was
committed to first fulfilling the task you asked of me in
preparing the new transport strategy and I was also determined
to avoid adding unnecessary pressures on colleagues in your
Administration's early months.
Over three years and with three diverse portfolios, I am
proud to have played a part, working with colleagues, in
creating a new economic strategy for Scotland, advances in
social justice, new beginnings in housing, a vision for
lifelong learning and a new transport strategy for the coming
decade.
I have no intention of leaving politics or the Parliament
and my enthusiasm for the Parliament remains as strong as it
was, over 20 years ago, when we campaigned together for its
creation. I intend to continue to work to develop a vision of a
Scotland that can banish poverty, whilst enhancing growth and
prosperity.
It is an honour to represent the people of my Paisley North
constituency and I hope to win their support again at the
election for the Scottish Parliament in 2003. Meanwhile, I will
continue to work hard in the interests of the Labour Party as I
have always done.
With you, I share a conviction that pride in Scotland should
not be about any narrow nationalism but about a sense of
nationhood, rooted in the values for which our Party stands. I
look forward to continuing supporting you and the Executive in
the times ahead.
Yours sincerely
Wendy Alexander MSP
Biography
Wendy Alexander was born in Glasgow and educated at Park
Mains High School, Erskine, and Pearson College, Canada. She
holds a first class honours degree in Modern and Economic
History from Glasgow University, a Masters with Distinction
from Warwick University and an MBA from INSEAD, France.
Prior to entering politics she was a consultant with Booz
Allen & Hamilton in their consumer goods practice working
with global companies on assignments in Europe, America, Asia
and Australasia.
In 1997, following Labour's election victory, Ms Alexander
was appointed Special Adviser to the late Donald Dewar, the
then Secretary of State for Scotland. She was closely involved
in drafting all aspects of the White Paper that led to the
establishment of the Scottish Parliament and the preparations
for the Parliament.
In May 1999 Ms Alexander was elected to represent Paisley
North in the Scottish Parliament and she was appointed Minister
for Communities with responsibility for housing, social
justice, local government, the voluntary sector and equal
opportunities.
Since October 2000, as Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong
Learning, she has had responsibility for Economy, business and
industry including Scottish Enterprise, Highland and Island
Enterprise, trade and inward investment, further and higher
education, the science base and e-commerce, lifelong learning
and training. In November 2001, transport was added to her
brief.
Ms Alexander has also worked as a research officer for the
Labour Party and is a member of RSPB, the TGWU and Amnesty
International. In 2000, she was Channel 4's Scottish Politician
of the Year. Publications, include "First Ladies of Medicine"
(1986) and contributions to "The World is Ill Divided: Women's
Work in Scotland"(1992), "The State and the Nations" (1996),
"The Ethnicity Reader" (1997) and "New Gender Agenda"
(2000).