{{short description|Scottish Labour Co-op politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}} {{Use British English|date=December 2019}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Rhona Brankin | honorific_suffix = | image = Rhona Brankin.jpg | caption = | constituency_MP = [[Midlothian (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Midlothian]] | parliament = Scottish | majority = | term_start = 6 May 1999 | term_end = 22 March 2011 | predecessor = ''new constituency'' | successor = ''constituency abolished'' | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1950|01|19|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Glasgow]], [[Scotland]] | death_date = | death_place = | birth_name = | party = [[Labour Co-operative]] | spouse = | relations = | children = | alma_mater = [[University of Aberdeen]] | occupation = | profession = | cabinet = | committees = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Rhona Brankin''' (born 19 January 1950) is a former [[Scottish Labour]]-[[Labour Co-operative|Co-operative]] politician who served as the [[Member of the Scottish Parliament]] (MSP) for the [[Midlothian (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Midlothian]] constituency. She was first elected in [[1999 Scottish Parliament election|1999]] and was re-elected in [[2003 Scottish Parliament election|2003]] and [[2007 Scottish Parliament election|2007]]. She was one of six female Labour MSPs to stand down in [[2011 Scottish Parliament election|2011]].
==Background== Brankin is a graduate of the [[University of Aberdeen]] and before entering the [[Scottish Parliament]] she was a [[teacher]] and a lecturer on special educational needs. She was former Chair of the [[Scottish Labour Party]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Black |first1=Andrew |title=Scottish election: MSPs bidding farewell to Holyrood |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-12761271 |access-date=26 May 2021 |work=BBC News |date=2011-03-22}}</ref> She is married with two grown-up daughters.<ref name="Herald">{{cite news |title=MSP upbeat about illness Brankin draws cross-party praise as she speaks out about breast cancer operation |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12215405.msp-upbeat-about-illness-brankin-draws-cross-party-praise-as-she-speaks-out-about-breast-cancer-operation/ |access-date=27 May 2021 |work=HeraldScotland |agency=Newsquest Media Group |date=4 February 2000 |language=en}}</ref>
In early 2000, Brankin was diagnosed with [[breast cancer]].<ref name="Herald" /> She had a [[mastectomy]] at St. John's Hospital in [[Livingston, West Lothian|Livingston]], which successfully removed the cancer.<ref>{{cite news |title=Brankin offers hope to other sufferers Minister wins breast cancer fight |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12198684.brankin-offers-hope-to-other-sufferers-minister-wins-breast-cancer-fight/ |access-date=27 May 2021 |work=HeraldScotland |agency=Newsquest Media Group |date=23 March 2000 |language=en}}</ref>
==Scottish Parliament== Brankin was [[Deputy Minister for Culture and Sport]] in the [[Scottish Executive]] from 1999 to 2000 and [[Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development]] from 2000 to 2001.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msps/31315.aspx |title=Previous MSPs: Session 1 (1999–2003): Rhona Brankin |publisher=Scottish Parliament|accessdate=10 June 2014}}</ref> In October 2004 she was appointed Deputy Minister for [[Health]] and [[Care in the Community|Community care]], returning to the Environment and Rural Development portfolio in June 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msps/30697.aspx |title=Previous MSPs: Session 2 (2003–2007): Rhona Brankin |publisher=[[Scottish Parliament]]|accessdate=10 June 2014}}</ref> In January 2007 she was promoted to [[Minister for Communities]] after the resignation of [[Malcolm Chisholm]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6244653.stm|title=Brankin to fill communities post|date=9 January 2007|work=[[BBC News]]|publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation]]|access-date=1 November 2008}}</ref> Following Labour's defeat at the hands of the SNP at the May 2007 election, Brankin became shadow Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/default_content/12749391.money-schools-need-says-brankin/|title=It's money schools need, says Brankin|last=Denholm|first=Andrew|date=13 October 2007|work=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]|publisher=[[Newsquest]]|accessdate=27 May 2021}}</ref> She was convener of the Public Petitions Committee from June 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msps/26549.aspx |title=Previous MSPs: Session 3 (2007–2011): Rhona Brankin |publisher=Scottish Parliament|accessdate=10 June 2014}}</ref>
Prior to the 2011 elections, Brankin announced her decision not to stand for re-election, retiring from Holyrood after 12 years.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10544610 |title=Brankin to retire from Holyrood |work=BBC News |date=7 July 2010|accessdate=8 June 2014}}</ref> The Midlothian constituency underwent boundary changes, and the two new constituencies created, [[Midlothian North and Musselburgh (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Midlothian North and Musselburgh]], and [[Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale]], were won by the SNP.
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == {{commons category}} * {{SP-MSP}}
{{S-start}} {{s-par|sct}} {{s-new|Parliament|reason=[[Scotland Act 1998]]}} {{s-ttl | title=[[Member of the Scottish Parliament]] for [[Midlothian (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Midlothian]] | years=[[1999 Scottish Parliament election|1999]]–[[2011 Scottish Parliament election|2011]] }} {{s-non|reason = Constituency abolished}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef | before=[[Malcolm Chisholm]]}} {{s-ttl | title=[[Minister for Communities]] | years=2007 }} {{s-aft | after=[[Stewart Maxwell]] | as= Minister for Communities and Sport }} {{succession box | title=[[Minister for Environment|Deputy Minister for the Environment and Rural Development]] | years=2005–2007 | before=[[Lewis Macdonald]]| after=[[Sarah Boyack]]}} {{succession box | title=[[Minister for Public Health|Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care]] | years=2004–2005 | before=[[Tom McCabe (politician)|Tom McCabe]]| after=[[Lewis Macdonald]]}} {{succession box | title=[[Minister for Environment|Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development]] | years=2000–2001 | before=[[John Home Robertson]]| after=[[Allan Wilson (Scottish politician)|Allan Wilson]]}} {{s-new|office}} {{s-ttl | title=Deputy Minister for Culture and Sport | years=1999–2000 }} {{s-aft| after=[[Allan Wilson (Scottish politician)|Allan Wilson]]}} {{s-end}}
{{Former Labour MSPs|state=collapsed}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brankin, Rhona}} [[Category:1950 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Aberdeen]] [[Category:Labour Co-operative MSPs]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 1999–2003]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 2003–2007]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 2007–2011]] [[Category:Ministers of the Scottish Government]] [[Category:Women members of the Scottish Government]] [[Category:20th-century Scottish women politicians]]