Joe FitzPatrick

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Joe FitzPatrick
MSP
Official portrait of Joe FitzPatrick MSP (cropped).jpg
Official portrait, 2016
Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing
In office
26 June 2018 – 18 December 2020
First MinisterNicola Sturgeon
Preceded byAileen Campbell
Succeeded byMairi Gougeon
Minister for Parliamentary Business
In office
5 September 2012 – 26 June 2018
First MinisterAlex Salmond
Nicola Sturgeon
LeaderTricia Marwick
Preceded byBrian Adam
Succeeded byGraeme Dey
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Dundee City West
Dundee West (2007–2011)
Assumed office
3 May 2007
Preceded byKate Maclean
Majority12,919
Personal details
Born (1967-04-01) 1 April 1967 (age 54)
Dundee, Scotland
Political partyScottish National Party
Alma materAbertay University
Websitewww.joe.fitzpatrick.scot

Joseph Martin FitzPatrick (born 1 April 1967) is a Scottish politician who served as Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing from 2018 to until his resignation in 2020.[1][2][3] A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Dundee City West since the 2007. He also served as Minister for Parliamentary Business from 2012 to 2018.

Early life, education and career[]

Joseph Martin FitzPatrick was born on 1 April 1967 in Dundee, Scotland. He attended Whitfield Primary School and Whitfield High School. He studied Forestry at Inverness College and worked for the Forestry Commission in Angus and Tillhill Forestry in ArgyIl.

He was elected President of Inverness College Students Association and was re-elected as the College's first Sabbatical President. He was elected to the National Executive of NUS in 1990 and was given specific responsibility for LGBT issues. He was later elected as the Area Convenor for the National Union of Students from1991 1992.

Before his election to the Scottish Parliament, FitzPatrick worked for Dundee SNP parliamentarians Shona Robison MSP and Stewart Hosie MP and was also a Dundee City councillor, SNP group whip and finance spokesperson.

Political career[]

Member of the Scottish Parliament[]

After being elected MSP for Dundee West, he was elected as the SNP Group Secretary in the Parliament and was a member of the Finance Committee and SNP substitute on the Health Committee. He was also the Parliamentary Liaison Officer to John Swinney MSP (Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth).

In 2007 FitzPatrick was elected to the SNP's National Executive Committee. In 2009 he co-ordinated the SNP's successful European Election Campaign.[4]

In 2011 FitzPatrick was re-elected to the slightly enlarged Dundee City west seat with an increased majority and 57.6% of the vote. FitzPatrick went on to be appointed Convener of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee. He was Co-convener of the Cross Party Group on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency and Convener of the Cross Party Group on Computer Games Technology prior to his appointment as Minister for Parliamentary Business in September 2012.

In 2016 FitzPatrick was one of ten openly LGBT MSPs.

In December 2020, figures were released revealing that 1,264 people in Scotland had died from drug overdoses in 2019 – the highest number in Europe and three and a half times the rate in England and Wales.[5] Activist Darren McGarvey claimed FitzPatrick as Public Health Minister was "incapable of leading us anywhere but the mortuary"[6] and opposition parties tabled a motion of no confidence in him in Holyrood.[7] Two days before FitzPatrick left office as Public Health Minister he was challenged to attend an unsanctioned mobile drug consumption facility which was parked outside Holyrood by activist [8] First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told Parliament that the figures were "indefensible" and sacked him.[9]

See also[]

  • Government of the 3rd Scottish Parliament

References[]

  1. ^ "Drug deaths in Scotland: Minister Joe FitzPatrick loses job". BBC News. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Scotland's public health minister quits over drug death figures". The Independent. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  3. ^ "Public health minister Joe FitzPatrick quits over drug deaths". STV News. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  4. ^ Gordon, Tom (30 May 2009), "Labour accused of dishonesty over leaflet 'charade", The Herald, Glasgow, retrieved 30 May 2009
  5. ^ Scotland's drug deaths rise to new record, BBC News, 15 December 2020
  6. ^ Joe FitzPatrick must carry can for grim toll of drug deaths, Daily Record, 18 December 2020
  7. ^ Joe FitzPatrick facing motion of no confidence over drugs death failures, The Herald, 18 December 2020
  8. ^ McGivern, Mark (17 December 2020). "Drugs activist parks safe consumption van at Holyrood as he challenges lawmakers". Daily Record. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  9. ^ 9, BBC News, 18 December 2020

External links[]

Scottish Parliament
Preceded by Member of the Scottish Parliament for Dundee West
2007–present 		Incumbent
Retrieved from ""