# Irene Oldfather > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Irene_Oldfather > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Irene_Oldfather.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_Oldfather > Source revision: 1355790228 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Scottish politician (born 1954) Irene Oldfather Irene Oldfather in 2016 Member of the Scottish Parliament for Cunninghame South In office 6 May 1999 – 22 March 2011 Preceded by new constituency Succeeded by Margaret Burgess Personal details Born 1954 (age 71–72) Glasgow, Scotland Party Scottish Labour Party Alma mater University of Strathclyde **Irene Hamilton Oldfather** (born 1954 in [Glasgow](/source/Glasgow)) is a [Scottish Labour Party](/source/Scottish_Labour_Party) politician.[1] She was the [Member of the Scottish Parliament](/source/Member_of_the_Scottish_Parliament) (MSP) for the [Cunninghame South](/source/Cunninghame_South_(Scottish_Parliament_constituency)) constituency from 1999 until 2011, when she was defeated by the SNP's [Margaret Burgess](/source/Margaret_Burgess).[2] During her time in Parliament, Oldfather served primarily on the European and External Relations Committee, acting as Convener for part of the 1999 and all of 2007 Sessions, and as Deputy Convener between 2003 and 2007. She was also co-chair of the Parliament's working group on prescription drug dependency.[3] She served as a member of the Parliament's first Health Committee where she was strongly supportive of tobacco control. She set up the Parliament's Cross Party Group on Alzheimer's and ushered a Charter of Rights for People with Dementia through Parliament. She was a member of [North Ayrshire Council](/source/North_Ayrshire_Council), being first elected in 1995,[4] but was defeated in the [2017 Scottish local elections](/source/2017_Scottish_local_elections).[5] She served as the council's vice-chair for education.[6] She was a Scottish member of European Committee of the Regions (CoR) from 1997 to 2011 where she served as Vice President of the Socialist Group (PES) for 11 years. After leaving Politics she was a Consultant writing the Business Case for Big Lottery's £25 million spend, Life Changes Trust for People with Dementia. In 2012 Oldfather became Director of Strategic Partnerships and External Affairs at the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland. In 2015 she became a Scottish Representative of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) where she served until Brexit in January 2020. in her earlier career, [3] She was a lecturer in government at the [University of Arizona](/source/University_of_Arizona).[6] She also did an internship at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC working with Professor Richard Rose University of Strathclyde. She attended Bank Street Primary and Irvine Royal Academy.[7] She attended the [University of Strathclyde](/source/University_of_Strathclyde), graduating with a BSc (Honours) and MSc in Politics.[8] In June 2024, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Strathclyde for national and international services to patients and carers. She campaigned to Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum and in 2022 became a Member of the United Kingdom Domestic Advisory Group (DAG) on the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) with Europe., where she was elected Vice Chair. In December 2024 she was re elected Vice Chair for a second term. In 2023 she set up the Scottish Advisory Forum on Europe (SAFE) which she Chairs. (2025). ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [About Irene Oldfather.](http://www.scottishlabour.org.uk/msp/irene_oldfather/735/) Scottish Labour 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2011. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20101017221410/http://www.scottishlabour.org.uk/msp/irene_oldfather/735/) 17 October 2010 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["MSP Margaret Burgess says farewell to Holyrood as the election campaign begins"](https://www.ardrossanherald.com/news/14382451.margaret-burgess-msp-this-week-stood-down-as-an-msp-as-the-campaign-for-the-2016-scottish-parliament-begins/). *Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald*. Gannet Company. Newsquest Media Group. 27 March 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2021. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-sp_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-sp_3-1) Swindon, Peter (30 May 2021). ["Ministers urged to act to save chronic pain patients from prescription drug addiction"](https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/ministers-urged-to-act-to-save-chronic-pain-patients-from-prescription-drug-addiction/). *The Sunday Post*. DC Thomson Media. Retrieved 30 May 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Bochel, H M; Denver, D T. ["Scottish Council Elections 1995"](http://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Scottish-Council-Elections-1995.pdf) (PDF). *electionscentre.co.uk*. Election Studies. Retrieved 16 June 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Dunn, Ross (5 May 2017). ["Tories to snub SNP but won't rule out coalition with other parties"](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/north-ayrshire-conservatives-snub-snp-10363424). *Daily Record*. Retrieved 30 May 2021. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-tes_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-tes_6-1) ["One-liners all round in North Ayrshire"](https://www.tes.com/news/one-liners-all-round-north-ayrshire). *Tes*. 2 February 1996. Retrieved 16 June 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Dunn, Ross (27 April 2017). ["North Ayrshire Council elections: Meet the Irvine East candidates"](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/north-ayrshire-council-elections-meet-10308721). *Daily Record*. Retrieved 30 May 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Irene Oldfather"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110506143005/http://www.scottishlabour.org.uk/irene-oldfather). *Scottish Labour*. Archived from [the original](http://www.scottishlabour.org.uk/irene-oldfather) on 6 May 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2021. ## External links - Scottish Parliament profiles of MSPs: [Irene Oldfather](https://www.parliament.scot/msps/current-and-previous-msps/irene-oldfather) Scottish Parliament New parliament Scotland Act 1998 Member of the Scottish Parliament for Cunninghame South 1999–2011 Succeeded by Margaret Burgess v t e Former Labour Party MSPs By date first representing Scottish Labour in the Scottish Parliament 1999 Wendy Alexander Scott Barrie Sarah Boyack Rhona Brankin Bill Butler Malcolm Chisholm Cathie Craigie Margaret Curran Susan Deacon Donald Dewar Helen Eadie Patricia Ferguson Sam Galbraith Karen Gillon Trish Godman Rhoda Grant Iain Gray Hugh Henry John Home Robertson Janis Hughes Gordon Jackson Sylvia Jackson Cathy Jamieson Margaret Jamieson Andy Kerr Johann Lamont Marilyn Livingstone Jack McConnell Lewis Macdonald Angus MacKay Kate Maclean Ken Macintosh Maureen Macmillan Paul Martin John McAllion Frank McAveety Tom McCabe Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale Henry McLeish Michael McMahon Duncan McNeil Des McNulty Alasdair Morrison Bristow Muldoon Mary Mulligan Elaine Murray Irene Oldfather Peter Peacock Cathy Peattie Richard Simpson Elaine Smith Elaine Thomson Mike Watson Ian Welsh Karen Whitefield Allan Wilson 2001 Brian Fitzpatrick 2003 Richard Baker Marlyn Glen Christine May 2005 Charlie Gordon 2007 Baron Foulkes of Cumnock James Kelly John Park David Stewart David Whitton 2011 Claudia Beamish Kezia Dugdale Mary Fee Neil Findlay Hanzala Malik Jenny Marra Margaret McCulloch Margaret McDougall Siobhan McMahon Anne McTaggart Graeme Pearson John Pentland Drew Smith 2012 Jayne Baxter 2013 Cara Hilton 2014 Alex Rowley 2016 Lesley Brennan Monica Lennon Richard Leonard Colin Smyth 2021 Foysol Choudhury Pam Duncan-Glancy Paul O'Kane Mercedes Villalba Martin Whitfield 2025 Davy Russell This article about a member of the Scottish Parliament is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:MSP-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3AMSP-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:MSP-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Irene Oldfather](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_Oldfather) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_Oldfather?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.