Frank Doran (UK politician)

Infobox MP
honorific-prefix =
name = Frank Doran
honorific-suffix =MP


constituency_MP = Aberdeen North
parliament =
majority = 6,795 (18.5%)
predecessor = Malcolm Savidge
successor = Incumbent
term_start = 5 May 2005
term_end =
constituency_MP2 = Aberdeen Central
parliament2 =
majority2 =
predecessor2 = "new constituency"
successor2 = "constituency abolished"
term_start2 =1 May 1997
term_end2 = 5 May 2005
constituency_MP3 = Aberdeen South
parliament3 =
majority3 =
predecessor3 = Gerry Malone
successor3 = Raymond Robertson
term_start3 = 11 June 1987
term_end3 = 9 April 1992
birth_date = Birth date and age|1949|04|13|df=yes
birth_place = Edinburgh, Scotland
death_date =
death_place =
nationality = Scottish
spouse =
party = Labour
relations =
children =
residence =
alma_mater = University of Dundee
occupation =
profession =
religion =


website = [http://www.frankdoran.org.uk/ www.frankdoran.org.uk]
footnotes =

Frank Doran (born 13 April 1949) is a British politician. He served as a Labour Member of Parliament (MP) from 1987 to 1992, and from 1997. He currently represents Aberdeen North.

Education and early career

Frank Doran attended the Ainslie Park Secondary School (now the Ainslie Park High School) in East Pilton and Leith Academy in Leith before leaving school at age 16. He took a job at the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board and was promoted to junior clerk in the legal department within a year. There, he was encouraged in his interest in law by Assistant Secretary of the Board Douglas Nellands, and he started taking night classes. After a few years, he went to the University of Dundee, where he was awarded a LLB degree in 1975. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1977 and was in practice until 1988. [cite web | title="Culture, Media and Sport Committee Press Notice No. 1" | url=http://www.parliament.uk/commons/selcom/cmspnt01.htm | accessdate= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 ]

He is the partner of fellow Labour MP Joan Ruddock.cite web | title="BBC NEWS - Politics - Frank Doran" | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2051150.stm | accessdate= September 18 | accessyear= 2007 ] [cite web | title="New Page 1" | url=http://www.frankdoran.org.uk/Frames/Frank/biography.htm | accessdate= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 ]

Political career

He unsuccessfully contested the European Parliament seat of Scotland North East in 1984.cite web | title="BBC NEWS - VOTE 2001 - CANDIDATES" | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/candidates/candidates/0/00202.stm | accessdate= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 ] He was elected to the House of Commons at the 1987 general election for Aberdeen South by defeating the sitting Conservative and Unionist MP Gerry Malone. [cite web | title="Aberdeen South" | url=http://www.scottishpolitics.org/nextwe/n03.html | accessdate= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 ] He was promoted to the opposition frontbench by Neil Kinnock in 1988 as a spokesperson on energy, leading on oil and gas. [cite web | title="ePolitix.com - Frank Doran" | url=http://www.epolitix.com/EN/MPWebsites/Frank+Doran/7322DEDD-8D74-49BE-9AC1-143564E44B70.htm | accessdate= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 ]

Frank Doran was defeated in Aberdeen South at the 1992 general election by the Conservative and Unionist Raymond Robertson. This was the only seat which Labour lost to the Conservatives at that election. Although out of parliament he returned to Westminster as a researcher for the Labour MP Joan Ruddock, until he was re-elected at the 1997 general election for the new constituency of Aberdeen Central.

He was appointed as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Industry Ian McCartney in 1997. He remained in position when McCartney transferred to the Cabinet Office in 1999, after which he became a member of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee in 2001.cite web | title="Frank Doran MP, Labour Member of Parliament for Aberdeen North" | url=http://www.frankdoran.org.uk/mainpages/about.htm | accessdate= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 ]

Following changes to the electoral boundaries in Scotland, the constituency of Aberdeen Central was abolished prior to the 2005 general election, Doran was forced to compete against the incumbent Aberdeen North MP, Malcolm Savidge, for the Labour party candidacy in a much-altered North seat. Doran won the nomination, and was elected to represent the new Aberdeen North seat with a majority of 6,795 votes. The win gave Frank Doran the unique distinction of having represented Aberdeen South, Aberdeen Central and Aberdeen North during his parliamentary career. [cite web | title="ukpollingreport.co.uk » Aberdeen North:" | url=http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/guide/seat-profiles/aberdeennorth | accessdate= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 ]

Doran is currently the chairman of the Administration Committee, and in this role he sits on the Finance and Services, Liaison and Works of Art committees.cite web | title="Frank Doran MP" | url=http://www.aberdeenlabourparty.org.uk/mp/frank.htm | accessdate= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 ] He is Secretary to the All-Party Fisheries Group, the GMB Parliamentary Group, the Trade Union Group of Labour MPs, the All Party Dance Group, and he is also Treasurer of All-Party Oil and Gas Group. [cite web | title="Parliamentary Groups" | url=http://www.frankdoran.org.uk/mainpages/pgroups.htm | accessdate= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 ]

Votes

Frank Doran voted in favour of the introduction of a bill that banned smoking in restaurants in April 2003. [cite web | title="House of Commons Hansard Debates for 14 Apr 2003 (pt 15)" | url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmhansrd/vo030414/debtext/30414-15.htm#30414-15_div162 | accessdate= September 17 | accessyear= 2007 ] In December 2004 and October 2005, he voted in favour of a bill enabling the British national identity card. [cite web | title="House of Commons Hansard Debates for 20 Dec 2004 (pt 42)" | url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmhansrd/vo041220/debtext/41220-42.htm#41220-42_div24 | accessdate= September 17 | accessyear= 2007 ] [cite web | title="House of Commons Hansard Debates for 18 Oct 2005 (pt 35)" | url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/vo051018/debtext/51018-35.htm#51018-35_div60 | accessdate= September 17 | accessyear= 2007 ] In March 2002, he voted to ban the hunting of wild mammals with dogs. [cite web | title="House of Commons Hansard Debates for 18 Mar 2002 (pt 40)" | url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo020318/debtext/20318-40.htm#20318-40_div199 | accessdate= September 17 | accessyear= 2007 ] He voted in favour of the NHS Foundation Trust proposal. [cite web | title="House of Commons Hansard Debates for 8 Jul 2003 (pt 27)" | url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmhansrd/vo030708/debtext/30708-27.htm#30708-27_div280 | accessdate= September 17 | accessyear= 2007 ] He also voted in favour of allowing unmarried heterosexual and homosexual couples to adopt, [cite web | title="House of Commons Hansard Debates for 4 Nov 2002 (pt 28)" | url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo021104/debtext/21104-28.htm#21104-28_div345 | accessdate= September 17 | accessyear= 2007 ] and in favour of the Civil Partnership Bill. [cite web | title="House of Commons Hansard Debates for 12 Oct 2004 (pt 34)" | url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmhansrd/vo041012/debtext/41012-34.htm#41012-34_div256 | accessdate= September 17 | accessyear= 2007 ] Frank Doran voted against the replacement of the Trident system. [cite web | title="House of Commons Hansard Debates for 14 Mar 2007 (pt 0022)" | url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070314/debtext/70314-0022.htm#07031475002466 | accessdate= September 17 | accessyear= 2007 ]

He voted in favour of adding clauses to a bill that allow the Secretary of State to detain indefinitely, pending deportation, anyone he suspects is a terrorist, even if the law forbids that person's deportation from ever taking place. [cite web | title="House of Commons Hansard Debates for 21 Nov 2001 (pt 28)" | url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo011121/debtext/11121-28.htm#11121-28_div76 | accessdate= September 17 | accessyear= 2007 ] He voted against only allowing people detained at a police station to be fingerprinted and searched for an identifying birthmark if it is in connection with a terrorism investigation. [cite web | title="House of Commons Hansard Debates for 26 Nov 2001 (pt 30)" | url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo011126/debtext/11126-30.htm#11126-30_div82 | accessdate= September 17 | accessyear= 2007 ]

In March 2003, he voted that the case had not yet been made for war against Iraq. [cite web | title="House of Commons Hansard Debates for 18 Mar 2003 (pt 47)" | url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmhansrd/vo030318/debtext/30318-47.htm#30318-47_div117 | accessdate= September 17 | accessyear= 2007 ] In June 2007, he voted against a motion calling for an independent inquiry by a committee of Privy Counsellors into the Iraq War. [cite web | title="House of Commons Hansard Debates for 11 Jun 2007 (pt 0015)" | url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070611/debtext/70611-0015.htm#07061179001224 | accessdate= September 17 | accessyear= 2007 ]

Controversy of MP queue-jumping

Frank Doran sparked outrage when the Administration Committee that he chairs ruled that researchers and secretaries working in the House of Commons must allow MPs to jump the queue for the canteen.

Staff described the rules as "feudal", and complained they were being treated as second-class citizens, but Mr Doran said: "You cannot have an MP standing in a queue for ages: they are very busy people". He acknowledged that the way in which staff were told about the ruling may have been better handled. [cite web | title=Queue-barge MP expresses concern | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7039807.stm | accessdate= December 4 | accessyear= 2007 |publisher=BBC News ]

Personal life

He married Patricia in 1967. They have two sons. They are separated.

References

External links

* [http://www.frankdoran.org.uk Official Site]
* [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/frank_doran/aberdeen_north Frank Doran MP on TheyWorkForYou.com]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/mpdb/html/670.stm BBC Politics]