Labour MP Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley

Date of birth

21 January 1942

Political profile

Throughout the 1980s, George Foulkes was one of Labour's most enthusiastically partisan left-wing frontbenchers, who would denounce with fulsome rhetoric almost any aspect of the Conservative government, and was as happy to attack on personality as policy.

At the same time he pursued his own policy interests, which were very internationally based, especially focusing on the economic development of poorer countries.

He proved himself an enthusiastic world traveller and was in the forefront of the campaign for a Scottish Parliament.

However, in 1993 he resigned from the frontbench after admitting to being drunk and disorderly.

He returned a year later, a more subdued and more New Labour character, and swiftly progressed to office as a junior minister in the Department for International Development.

He was made minister in the Scottish Office, having decided not to contest a seat for the Scottish Parliament, but returned to the back benches in the 2002 reshuffle.

Mr Foulkes, an enthusiastic pro-European, is not standing at the next general election.

Contact

Constituency office 01290 422990