David Martin; Elected in 1987 as the youngest ever leader of the British Labour delegation of MEPs.  Married Lorraine Davidson in 2002.

In his new role as Spokesperson for the Socialist and Democrat Group on international trade, during a parliamentary debate in July David outlined his priorities and concerns for the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). David stressed to the European Commission that the Socialists welcomed the negotiations which have the potential to reach an agreement which will set high global standards and give small and medium-sized Scottish businesses the ease of access to the US market which multinationals currently enjoy.

However he warned that the protection of public services including the NHS, maintaining EU food safety standards and preventing backdoor corporate power grabs were key priorities for the Group, and a final assessment of the deal will be needed before the Parliament votes to approve or reject the deal in the coming years. http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UU9iC54Fm3tYgU4NhC-UeegA&v=vNm96cbmc0s

 

 

b. David spoke out recently against the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provision in upcoming trade agreements which will give foreign investors the right to sue the EU or a Member State in behind-closed-doors arbitration. Labour MEPs do not support this abuse of corporate power and are challenging right-wing governments to exclude it. Governments must be able to legislate on public health, environment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPd0YYoiCmk&list=UU9iC54Fm3tYgU4NhC-UeegA&index=9

 

 

c. An Independent Scotland will be able to join the European Union, according to Labour’s most senior MEP. In an interview with the Sunday Herald, David Martin, Labour MEP for Scotland, effectively distanced himself from claims by the Better Together campaign – which he supports – that Scotland might fail to become a member of the EU after independence or be rejected by the European Commission.

He also said that Scotland will not have to join the euro or the Schengen common travel area in the event of a Yes vote. “My view is that Scotland, of course, would get into the EU eventually,” he said. “It’s not automatic, and would take several rounds of negotiations, but they’re not going to force us to join Schengen.

They’re not going to force us to join the euro.” Martin’s views carry considerable weight. First elected in 1984, he is Britain’s most senior Labour MEP, and indeed the second-longest serving member of the entire European Parliament. He made clear that he is campaigning for a No vote in September’s referendum, and does not wish Scotland to break away from the UK.

But he indicated that he expects the European Commission to be much more flexible in the event of a Yes vote than it has suggested so far. http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/labour-mep-independence-no-barrier-to-eu-membership.24250593 http://www.eurolabour.org.uk/david-martin-mep

 

 

Labour’s top MEP David Martin in expenses wrangle at launch of Euro campaign.

Mr Martin is top of the constituency list in Scotland whereas Mr Miller is third and in danger of losing his seat given that the number of Scottish MEPs is to fall from eight to seven.

Mr Miller denied he had provided the documents of details of Mr Martin’s financial arrangements that have resulted in the European Parliament investigating his allowances. “The information that the party got came from, as far as I’m aware, Billy Cook. There is no way I could get hold of that information,” he said.

Billy Cook, an Edinburgh Labour activist, is the brother of Mr Martin’s estranged wife, Margaret. Mr Cook handed details of Mr Martin’s expenses to the Labour Party and they were passed on the European Parliament.

In 2002, Mr Martin left his wife for Lorraine Davidson, a former Labour spindoctor and Daily Mirror journalist. “I have seen all the speculation,” Mr Miller said. “Why don’t people concentrate on whether David Martin is innocent or guilty? Has he committed what he is supposed to have done or not?”

He also denied that the prospect of his losing his seat on June 10 would have given him a motive to undermine Mr Martin’s campaign. “I have always known my job is on the line. I knew that when I went down to number three. “All this stuff is being made up by journalists and David Martin’s partner is a journalist with contacts.

It is a distraction from the real issue which is, has David Martin fraudulently siphoned money through his expenses? If he has not, then fine. If he has he will have to be dealt with.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1461894/Labours-top-MEPs-in-expenses-wrangle-at-launch-of-Euro-campaign.html

 

Bill Miller  former (MEP) Bill Cook

 

Lorraine Davidson; Political columnist and journalist for the BBC and others. (Long term girlfriend of Tom Mccabe, Labour chief whip in the Scottish Executive. Later wife of Labour MEP David Martin.)

 

Lorraine Davidson Tom McCabe

 

Ms Davidson, who now works as a political columnist and journalist, said: “I think it’s as simple as this: if Labour loses the Glasgow East by-election I think Gordon Brown is finished. “Because it basically means that anyone in the PLP (Parliamentary Labour Party) with a majority of less than 13,500 is going to say, ‘if Gordon Brown’s the leader, we’re away as well’. “You’re really talking the bulk of the PLP. It’s complete and utter meltdown. “So if Glasgow East is lost I think you will see a challenge to Gordon Brown.

I just do not see how he can survive it.” However, Ms Davidson added that she did not feel there was the same desire to give the government a “good kicking” as she had detected at recent by-election defeats. Political opponents immediately seized on the situation as evidence that Labour was in “meltdown”. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7491928.stm, (includes video)

 

Labour Cabinet  Gordon Brown

 

Jack McConnell may have just celebrated his third anniversary as First Minister but next year a new biography will lift the lid on the leader penned by a writer with no less a colourful past than her subject.

Due out in summer 2005, the book is currently being researched by Daily Mirror journalist Lorraine Davidson who should know more than most the inner workings of the Scottish Labour hierarchy.

Not only has Davidson previously dated Tom McCabe, the then Labour chief whip in the Scottish Executive, but is now coming to the end of maternity leave after the birth of a son with Labour MEP David Martin.

But Jack can rest assured that the book is not being written on the back of some killer fact that might bring down the curtain on his First Ministership. “Lorraine just feels that Jack has been in the job long enough and the time is right for someone to write a new biography of him now,” says a bookworm.  http://www.scotsman.com/news/the_lady_who_wrote_the_book_on_jack_1_563825

 

Jack McConnell  Tom McCabe

 

 

Thomas McCabe. Long term boyfriend of Lorraine Davidson. Became an MSP in the first elections to the Scottish Parliament in 1999, later holding the positions of Minister for Parliament (1999–2001), Minister for Health and Community Care (2003–2004), later Minister for Finance. Member of the Scottish Parliament for Hamilton South until May 2011.

One year after losing his seat and salary as an MSP, former Labour minister Tom McCabe was employed by the Labour-run Glasgow Council as a ‘policy manager’ on a salary of nearly £50,000 a year.

Though purported to be a non-political role working for the Council’s Land and Environmental Services, McCabe did not appear to be an obvious choice of candidate, leading to accusations that it is his ties to the Labour party which secured him his employment.

The leader of Glasgow City Council was dragged into a sleaze row over the former Labour minister Tom McCabe landing a £50,000-a-year job with the local authority. The SNP accused Glasgow Labour leader Gordon Matheson of being too close to the appointment, after it emerged he was briefed about McCabe’s application by his top official.

Matheson had been alerted by George Black, Chief Executive of Glasgow City Council, in advance of McCabe being interviewed.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/row-over-hiring-of-former-labour-msp.18683268  http://www.scottishtimes.com/scottish/politics-scottish/tom-mccabe-lands-policy-job-at-glasgow-city-council/

 

Gordon Mathieson George Black