| George Foulkes, Baron Foulkes Of Cumnock |
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Information AboutGeorge Foulkes, Baron Foulkes Of Cumnock |
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His political career began in 1963 , when he became Senior President of Edinburgh University Students’ Representative Council. He later moved on to become full time President of the Scottish Union of Students. Foulkes was first elected in the 1979 General Election , as Labour and Co-operative Member Of Parliament for South Ayrshire . After that constituency's abolition in boundary changes, he was elected in the 1983 General Election for the new constituency of Carrick, Cumnock And Doon Valley . After serving on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and the Council Of Europe , he was appointed to the Opposition Front Bench as an opposition spokesperson on Foreign Affairs from 1983-92, then for Defence from 1992-93 and as Joan Lester ’s deputy at Overseas Development from 1994-97. Foulkes was a passionate supporter of Scottish Devolution and wrote a few chapters in 'A Claim of Right for Scotland' in 1988 . When Labour won the election in 1997 he was appointed Under Secretary at the Department For International Development , where he was Clare Short ’s deputy until February 2001, when he was appointed Minister Of State For Scotland until May 2002. From June 2003 to May 2005 he was a UK delegate to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Assembly of the Western European Union . Foulkes was made a member of the Privy Council in 2002, and stepped down from office at the 2005 General Election . On 13 May 2005 it was announced that he would be created a Life Peer , and in June 2005 the peerage was gazetted as Baron Foulkes of Cumnock. Cumnock is a small town in East Ayrshire , where James Keir Hardie , the founder of the Labour Party is buried. He was also made chairman of Heart Of Midlothian F.C. from April 2004, however resigned on 31st October 2005. He now represents the Labour Party on the Executive of the Socialist International , and serves as President of the Caribbean Britain Business Council. EXTERNAL LINK
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