Gordon Brown MP

first elected 1983

In 1983 Gordon Brown became the first MP for the newly created constituency of Dunfermline East.

At that time, in the early 1980s, unemployment was at its highest, with 3m unemployed in Britain and more than 20,000 officially registered out of work in Fife. Teenagers leaving school could find no work. Poverty was rising. The mining industry was under attack. Once there had been 66 pits in Fife. Now mining was fighting for its very existence and in 1983-4 the miners were on strike for almost one whole year.

Such was the strength of mining employment still in Fife that during the 1984 miners’ strike there were 10 strike centres and soup kitchens throughout the constituency. From the outset, Gordon fought for jobs for the Fife area. He called for new investment in jobs. He worked with the miners and their wives, supporting the strike centres and calling for the reemployment of dismissed miners. He was made an honorary member of the National Union of Mineworkers for the work he did.

At the same time Rosyth Dockyard was also under threat of privatisation and potential closure. The engineers’ unions, now AMICUS, GMB and the TGWU - of which Gordon has been a member for many years - fought for jobs. Now as a result of the campaign, Rosyth is to be the home for building the new fleet of aircraft carriers.

We can trace Gordon's family roots in Fife to 1720. His grandfather, great grandfather and all his family before that were brought up and lived in the Auchterderran area. His grandfather was born at Brighills Farm in Lochgelly just before the creation of pits in the areas and some of his other ancestors worked in Lochore and others are buried in Ballingry.

Gordon's father was educated at St Andrews University and became a minister of the Church of Scotland. He became Minister of St Brycedale Church, Kirkcaldy from 1953 onwards and so Gordon was educated at the West Primary school and then Kirkcaldy High School, of which he was dux in 1967. He went to Edinburgh University from the age of 16 and graduated as a master of arts at 19, later gaining a first class honours degree and a doctorate of philosophy. He was elected Rector of Edinburgh University by the students and from 1972 to 1975 was Chairman of the University Court.

After the election on June 9 1983 Gordon Brown was quickly recognised as one of the most talented of the new intake of MP’s. Before becoming shadow Chancellor he held two other senior posts on the Opposition Front Bench - Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury (1987- 1989) and shadow Trade and Industry Secretary (1989-1992). He was Shadow Chancellor from 1992. With the election of the Labour Government in May 1997, Gordon became Chancellor of the Exchequer and is now the longest serving Chancellor for 200 years.

In his time as Chancellor, he made the Bank of England independent and has presided nine years of sustained economic growth. He is currently chairman of the International Monetary and Finance Committee which monitors the International Monetary Fund and is a member of Kofi Annan's Panel for the reform of the United Nations. He is the author or editor of five books and he holds honorary degrees from Edinburgh, Wolverhampton, Brunel and New York Universities.

But Gordon’s main interest has always been working for the constituents - and tackling poverty and unemployment. He introduced the New Deal which has helped more than 1 million people into work, extended it to single parents and the long term unemployed, introduced the child and pension tax credits to tackle rising poverty and side by side with his economic reforms insisted that more investment go into education, the NHS, pensions and children.

In 2005 he became the member for the newly created constituency of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath.

Gordon is married to Sarah and they live with their son John, who is nearly three, at their home in North Queensferry, Fife. They have established the Jennifer Brown Trust in memory of their daughter who died aged ten days. They have created the Jennifer Brown Trust to research into childbirth and helps local mothers with pregnancy difficulties and offers help where there is a risk to the infant's life.

Gordon has been a local MP for 22 years and has worked with the other MPs, councillors, the local party and local trades unions. He has offices in Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy. Rhona White has run the constituency office since it was setup 22 years ago. Cowdenbeath is the Constituency Office and there is a Parliamentary Advice Centre in Kirkcaldy.