Ernest Ross (27 July 1942 – 17 October 2021) was a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Dundee West from 1979 to 2005. He was a member of the Labour Party.
Ernie Ross | |
|---|---|
 Ross as an MP | |
| Member of Parliament for Dundee West | |
| In office 3 May 1979 – 11 April 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Peter Doig |
| Succeeded by | Jim McGovern |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ernest Ross 27 July 1942 Dundee, Scotland |
| Died | 17 October 2021 (aged 79) Dundee, Scotland |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Jane Moad (m. 1964) |
| Children | 3 |
Early life
Ross was born in Dundee, Scotland, on 27 July 1942.[1][2] Both his parents were employed by National Cash Register. He completed his primary education at St Joseph's and St Mary's primary schools before attending St John's Roman Catholic High School.[1] After graduating, he first worked as an engineer in a shipyard, then as a senior quality control engineer at Timex.[3] He joined the Labour Party in 1973.[4]
Political career
Ross was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Dundee West in the 1979 general election, succeeding Peter Doig.[5] He supported Tony Benn in the 1981 Labour Party deputy leadership election.[1] Ross was re-elected five times until his retirement at the 2005 general election,[5] when he was succeeded by Jim McGovern.[6]
Ross sat on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee from July 1997 to March 1999, the Standards and Privileges Committee from October 1996 to March 1997, and the Education & Employment Committee from November 1995 to March 1997. He also served on the Court of Referees from June 1987 to May 2005.[5] While serving on the foreign affairs committee in 1999, he leaked a draft report to foreign secretary Robin Cook concerning the Sandline affair and Sierra Leone. Cook then erroneously mentioned the findings in interviews ahead of the publication of the report.[1] This led to Ross's resignation from the committee and suspension from the House of Commons for ten days.[7][8] He was consequently dubbed "the plumber", in reference to his ability to "fix leaks".[3]
Ross was an ardent supporter of Palestinian nationalism, leading to him being nicknamed "the MP for Nablus West".[3][9][10] He backed the decision by Dundee City Council in 1980 to twin the city with Nablus.[1] In April of the following year, he took part in a good-will delegation from Dundee to visit Nablus and Kuwait City.[10][11]
Personal life
Ross married Jane Moad in 1964. They remained married until his death. Together, they had three children: Stephen, Ali and Karen. He had cancer while serving his first term in Parliament but survived after undergoing keyhole surgery by Alfred Cuschieri.[1]
Ross died on 17 October 2021 in Dundee. He was 79 years old.[1][12][13]
References
General sources
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Ernie Ross