|
Over I50 local
people from across North Ayrshire celebrates Brian's 18 years as MP for
Cunninghame North.
A priority
throughout his time as MP was the constant
struggle to maintain employment and bring new job
opportunities to the area.
Over I50 local people from across North Ayrshire enjoyed a night of
celebration with Brian Wilson in the Garnock Labour Club in Kilbirnie to
mark his eighteen years as MP for Cunninghame North.
The night was organised by long term friend and political ally Allan Wilson
MSP who spoke of the MPs achievements during his time as MP.
"Brian not only succeeded in holding Ministerial office to cabinet rank but
always sought to use that office to help his constituents back in North
Ayrshire" said Mr Wilson.
"Whether it was starting the revolution in nursery provision in North
Ayrshire back in 1997 as Education Minister in the Scotland Office or
promoting renewable energy development as Energy Minister in his final years
of office Brian always put the interests of his constituents first."
"A priority throughout his time as MP was the constant struggle to maintain
employment and bring new job opportunities to the area and he travelled the
globe as Minister for trade in the DTI and made many valuable business
contacts who were later to invest in the constituency."
"As Minister for State with Donald Dewar in the Scotland Office Brian helped
pave the way for devolution in 1999 and I was later fortunate enough to work
with him as Deputy Minister for the Environment when he was Westminster
Energy Minister. His commitment to and knowledge of energy matters is
unsurpassed in the UK and it's no surprise that he should now be putting
that expertise to good use in the private sector."
"Brian isn't of course retiring in the conventional sense but moving on to
other things including a non-executive directorship of Celtic Football Club
which he assumed at the beginning of this month. All his friends, colleagues
and former constituents will, I know, wish him all the best in his future
endeavours"
Brian Donohue MP and former colleague of Brian Wilson also spoke at the
event and recalled Brian's commitment to his constituency and his
willingness to promote Ayrshire issues more generally,
"Brian was a firm supporter of Prestwick Airport and helped establish the
aerospace park there when he was a Minister and was always ready to help
local businesses, particularly manufacturing industry overcome challenges
and maintain a profitable presence here" said Mr Donohue.
University lecturer and West Kilbride resident David Hutchison recalled
Brian's prowess as a journalist as well as a politician, "Brian was able to
combine the skills of both journalism and politics to become an expert
communicator for the Government and the Labour Party and his services were
always in demand as an astute commentator on contemporary Scottish politics"
said Mr Hutchison.
Brian Wilson told the gathering that he had never forgotten that the
privilege of being an MP and a member of a Labour Government stemmed from
the fact that, every few years, Labour Party members in Ayrshire selected
them as their candidate.
"That is the necessary antidote to vanity or self-indulgence," he said. "You
are not there because of your own opinions or intrinsic merits, however
great they might be, but because ordinary Labour Party members have put you
there to advance the cause. You lose sight of that at your peril."
He said that his ten years in opposition from 1987 had been the hardest work
of his life, but every day had been necessary to restore the credibility of
the Labour Party which had almost been destroyed as a potential government
in the 1980s.
On local issues, Mr Wilson singled out delivery of James Watt College at
Kilwinning, when he was Scottish Education Minister, the development of
Ardrossan Harbour, the attraction of 15 million of lottery money into the
constituency for projects like Radio City, the Garrison and Beith Town
Centre.
Mr Wilson said: "A lesson I learned a long time ago is never to claim
anything as your own achievement. Everything involves a lot of people
working towards the same end ¨- some in the front line and others totally
behind the scenes."
|
