Sam Galbraith

Sam Galbraith
Sam Galbraith
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Children
	In office; 16 May 1999 – 26 October 2000
First Minister	Donald Dewar
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Jack McConnell
Member of the Scottish Parliament; for Strathkelvin and Bearsden
	In office; 6 May 1999 – 20 March 2001
Preceded by	New Parliament
Succeeded by	Brian Fitzpatrick
Member of the UK Parliament; for Strathkelvin and Bearsden
	In office; 11 June 1987 – 14 May 2001
Preceded by	Michael Hirst
Succeeded by	John Lyons
Personal details
Born	18 October 1945; Clitheroe, Lancashire
Died	18 August 2014 (aged 68)
Citizenship	United Kingdom
Nationality	Scottish
Political party	Labour

Samuel Laird Galbraith (18 October 1945 – 18 August 2014) was a Scottish Labour Party politician who served as the first Cabinet Secretary for Education and Children from 1999 to 2000.

Galbraith had previously been a neurosurgeon of international repute. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1987 to 2001 and was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) from 1999 to 2001. He served as Education Minister in the Scottish Executive under First Minister Donald Dewar from 1999 to 2000. The Labour/Liberal Democrat coalition faced demands from Scottish National Party (SNP) politicians, including future First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, for Galbraith to resign after the SQA examinations controversy in 2000.

Early life

Galbraith was born in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He was educated at Greenock High School. He studied at Glasgow University, where he received honours in medicine. Galbraith was a respected neurosurgeon, whose skills saved many lives at Glasgow's Southern General Hospital.

Political career

At the 1987 general election, he was returned as Member of Parliament for the Strathkelvin and Bearsden constituency,[1] and held the seat until standing down at the 2001 general election. He was a Scottish Office Minister between 1997 and 1999.[2]

Galbraith served as Minister for Children and Education in the Scottish Executive under Donald Dewar from 1999 to 2000 and then as Minister for Environment, Sport and Culture. On 20 March 2001 he announced his resignation from ministerial office and his parliamentary seats for health reasons.[3]

Personal life

He was married, the father of three daughters. In prior years he was an avid mountaineer who had climbed all the Munros and also climbed in the Alps and Himalayas.

Galbraith received a lung transplant in 1990, at Freeman's Hospital Newcastle (where he continued to receive treatment), due to fibrosing alveolitis[4] (the same condition which took the life of a sister).

From 2006 he was chairman of the Scottish Maritime Museum with facilities at Irvine, North Ayrshire and Dumbarton.[5]

He died on 18 August 2014.[6]

References

"Resignation calls fall on deaf ears". BBC News. 14 August 2000. Archived from the original on 10 October 2003. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
"Sam Galbraith: Electoral history and profile". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
MacLeod, Catherine (20 March 2001). "Galbraith resigns today". The Herald (Glasgow). Retrieved 18 August 2014.
Martin, Lorna (17 March 2007). "I was meant to die. I didn't". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
North Ayrshire Council Committee reports and agenda retrieved 22 July 2013.
Black, Andrew (18 August 2014). "Tributes paid to former Scottish minister Sam Galbraith who has died". BBC News. Archived from the original on 24 August 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2016.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Michael Hirst	Member of Parliament for Strathkelvin and Bearsden 1987–2001	Succeeded by John Lyons
Scottish Parliament
Preceded by (new post)	Member of the Scottish Parliament for Strathkelvin and Bearsden 1999–2001	Succeeded by Brian Fitzpatrick
Preceded by Office created	Minister for the Environment, Sport and Culture 2000–2001	Succeeded by Office abolished
Preceded by Office created	Minister for Children and Education 1999–2000	Succeeded by Jack McConnell

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[1] "Resignation calls fall on deaf ears". BBC News. 14 August 2000. Archived from the original on 10 October 2003. Retrieved 18 August 2014.

[2] "Sam Galbraith: Electoral history and profile". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.

[3] MacLeod, Catherine (20 March 2001). "Galbraith resigns today". The Herald (Glasgow). Retrieved 18 August 2014.

[4] Martin, Lorna (17 March 2007). "I was meant to die. I didn't". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.

[5] North Ayrshire Council Committee reports and agenda retrieved 22 July 2013.

[6] Black, Andrew (18 August 2014). "Tributes paid to former Scottish minister Sam Galbraith who has died". BBC News. Archived from the original on 24 August 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2016.