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Ann McKechinforShadow CabinetLabour MP forGlasgow North

Ann McKechin MP

Dear

I am seeking your support for the Shadow Cabinet Elections.

Being in opposition is hard at any time but the coming months and years

will be one of the most difficult periods in decades that this country and

our Party will face.

We need to effectively represent the voices of those who will be hit

hardest by the Coalitions agenda to achieve a permanent small state

solution but we also need to develop the right policies that will convincethe electorate that there is a genuine alternative. Within the

Parliamentary party we need to develop a new range of tactical skills

that will require the Shadow Cabinet to work as closely as possible with

backbench colleagues to maximise our efforts.

I believe I can offer a range of skills and experience to the role that will

fit these challenges.

Resilience

I was chair of the Scottish Parliamentary group during the Glasgow East

by-election and learnt by hard experience of the need to keep your

resolve even in the toughest of times and maintain team morale. I took up

my Ministerial position in the Scotland Office in the week of the

Lehman Brothers collapse at a time when Labours support had slumped,

but was determined to show that our decisions at the height of the

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financial crisis to take over Scotlands major banks were the correct

choice.

I took an active role in the campaigns that led to our subsequent victories

in both the Glenrothes and Glasgow North East by-elections which paved

the way towards our strongest electoral performance in Scotland for many

years at the General Election.

Policy Development

I was Chair of the Manifesto group on International Development before

the General Election.

As Chair of the All Party Group on Debt, Aid and Trade I was one of the

first parliamentarians to actively call for a currency transaction tax and

to produce a detailed report on how it could be achieved.

Campaigning

Before I was first elected in 2001, I spent many years actively

campaigning as a volunteer for OXFAM and as the Scottish representative

for the World Development Movement.

As a Backbencher, I successfully lobbied for a full public inquiry on the

causes of the Stockline Factory explosion in my constituency. This has led

to a number of significant changes in Health & Safety practicesincluding the current replacement of every metal LPG pipe in the

country.

In this years Election I faced a Libdem target campaign against my seat

and managed to increase both my share of the vote and majority at a

fraction of the cost of my opponents campaign.

Understanding Opposition

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As a Scotland Office Minister and now a frontbench spokesperson, I have

spent the last two years on a daily basis working on how to put across our

message and develop our policies against an SNP led administration.

I hope to speak to as many members of the Group as possible but if you

have any queries please dont hesitate to contact me via email or by

phone on 07XXX XXXXXX.

Kind regards

Ann

Glasgow North