Helen Stirling Eadie(7 March 1947 – 9 November 2013) was aScottish LabourCo-operativepolitician who served asMember of the Scottish Parliament(MSP) forCowdenbeath,previouslyDunfermline East,from1999until her death in 2013.
Helen Eadie | |
|---|---|
 Eadie in 2011 | |
| Deputy Convener of theStandards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee | |
| In office 14 June 2011 – 9 November 2013 | |
| Convener | Dave Thompson |
| Preceded by | Marilyn Livingstone |
| Succeeded by | Alex Rowley |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament forCowdenbeath Dunfermline East(1999–2011) | |
| In office 6 May 1999 – 9 November 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Alex Rowley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Helen Stirling Eadie 7 March 1947 Stenhousemuir,Scotland |
| Died | 9 November 2013(aged 66) Dunfermline,Fife,Scotland |
| Political party | Labour Co-operative |
| Alma mater | London School of Economics |
Early life
editHelen Stirling Eadie was born inStenhousemuir,nearFalkirk.She attended Larbert Village School,Larbert High SchoolandFalkirk Technical Collegebefore going on to read trade union studies at theLondon School of Economics.[1]
Eadie was a member ofFife Regional Councilbefore being elected theScottish Parliamentin 1999.[1]At the1997 general election,she contexted theRoxburgh and Berwickshireconstituency as the Labour candidate. She finished in third place, but increased her party's share of the vote to 15% from 8.8% in1992.[2]
Member of the Scottish Parliament
editWhen Labour was in power in theScottish Executive,Eadie called for an end to tolls on theForth Road Bridge.[3]
After theMay 2003 Scottish parliament election,Eadie strongly opposed the thenLabour–Liberal Democrat coalition's agreed deal tointroducethesingle transferable vote(STV)proportional systemfor futurelocal council elections.She said it was an example of "the tail wagging the dog" and "It's about one of the smallest parties in the parliament wanting to use the power that they have to try to force through issues that they want to see steamrollered through."[3]
In November 2006, Eadie called forcurfewsagainst under-15 youths, after she was surrounded and trapped inside her car by a mob of youngsters who started rocking the car and throwing missiles at it.[3]
She was a member of manyScottish Parliament committees,but in June 2007 resigned two of her committee posts in protest at aTory MSPbeing given a convener-ship of theequal opportunitiescommittee. Eadie said at the time, the move was like "puttingAttila the Hunin charge of community care ".[3]
Personal life
editEadie was married with two daughters.[4]In 2013, it emerged she was being treated for cancer at theQueen Margaret Hospital,following diagnosis at the end of October.[5]She died on 9 November 2013.[3]
References
edit- ^ab"Labour MSP Helen Eadie dies of cancer, aged 66".Daily Record.9 November 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 12 November 2013.Retrieved12 November2013.
- ^The Times Guide to the House of Commons May 1997.London: Times Newspapers Ltd. 1997. p. 218.ISBN0-7230-0956-2.
- ^abcde"Labour MSP Helen Eadie dies, aged 66".BBC News online. 9 November 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 23 December 2015.
- ^Veteran Labour MSP Helen Eadie has died at 66.Scottish Express. 9 November 2013.Retrieved12 November2013.
- ^"Labour MSP Helen Eadie treated for cancer".BBC News.7 November 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 7 November 2013.Retrieved8 November2013.
External links
edit- Official website
- Scottish Parliament profiles of MSPs:Helen Eadie
- Helen Eadie MSPBiography at Scottish Parliament website
- Helen Eadie MSPBiography at Labour party website
- Helen Eadie MSPHelen's pages on the Fife Labour website