Nigel Griffiths has been MP for Edinburgh South since 1987

Before Labour came to power, Mr Griffiths was consumer affairs spokesman for eight years - a role he was appointed to as junior minister at the Department of Trade and Industry in 1997.

But he was sacked about 18 months later after a public row with his senior civil servants when he claimed they were plotting against him as well as being lazy and incompetent.

The MP for Edinburgh South had already survived calls for his resignation after claims that he was involved in a decision affecting a company in which he had interests.

Born in Glasgow, Mr Griffiths was educated at Hawick High School, Edinburgh University and Moray House College of Education.

Teenage party member

The 51-year-old MP has been a member of the Labour Party since he was 15 and was a councillor in Edinburgh for seven years during the 1980s.

He chaired the council's housing committee and set up the Wester Hailes Citizens Advice Bureau.

He also helped found the Big Issue in Scotland for homeless people and Scottish Education and Action for Development that pioneered fair trade with workers in the Third World.

At the general election in 1987, he won the Edinburgh South seat after defeating Tory Michael Ancram.

Among the consumer issues he had championed was the debacle at Hoover over the promise of free airline flights and he persuaded three of the four clearing banks to reduce the processing of cheques from three days to one.

During his first time at the DTI he was responsible for establishing the new Competition Commission.

Green support

His return to government after the 2001 election earned him the nickname the comeback kid.

He was again named minister for small business, export control, and arms non-proliferation.

He was appointed deputy leader of the House of Commons after the 2005 election.

Mr Griffiths is a member of a number of organisations, including Amnesty International, Friends of the Earth, and the Ramblers' Association.