Following Rayner’s resignation and Starmer’s reactionary reshuffle, Douglas Alexander has found himself back in his old position, as Secretary of State for Scotland. But who exactly is Douglas Alexander?
First elected in 1997 as part of Blair’s landslide majority, Alexander served as the Labour MP for Paisley South until 2015, return as an MP for Lothian East in 2024, once again as part of a landslide majority, only this time under Starmer.
Under Blair and Brown’s governments he served in multiple ministerial positions as Secretary of State for e-Commerce and Competitiveness, the Cabinet Office, Trade, Europe, Scotland, Transport, and International Development. Despite being a new face to Starmer’s cabinet, he has a depth of experience in senior political positions.
After Labour’s 2010 election defeat, Alexander also served as part of the Shadow Front Bench, as Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, then Shadow Foreign Secretary, and was later appointed chair of Labour’s general election strategy in 2013.
Unlike other newly appointed members of the Cabinet, like new DEFRA Secretary Emma Reynolds, Alexander was not Oxbridge educated, but went to Russel Group Edinburgh University instead obtaining a degree in politics and modern history at the Scottish university, where he returned later to study an LLB as well, to qualify as a solicitor.
Interestingly as well, Alexander was state school educated, at his local comprehensive school in Erskine.
Alexander has vocally opposed alleged anti-Semitism within the Labour party, although has been part of an expenses scandal in 2009 after it was found he had broken expenses rules regarding double-funding. In addition, Alexander was forced to step down as chair of UNICEF UK, after claims arose in 2020 of bullying towards Sasha Deshmukh, although a review in 2022 revealing that the claims were unfounded and he was cleared of wrongdoing.
Overall however, Douglas Alexander is a highly experienced minister, who will undoubtedly do well in his new position. However, there has been noticable disappointment around his predecessor’s removal from office, Ian Murray, who was Scottish Labour’s longest serving MP, having survived the SNP’s growth over the mid 2010’s, and a staunch supporter of Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
So whether Alexander will have the full support of the Labour party is doubtful, and Starmer’s acceptance of former Blarirites back into senior roles, with Tim Allan also joining as director of communications, he risks alienating the left-wing of the party further, leaning further to the right of the political spectrum with every reshuffle.
Featured image via HM Government.
