{{Short description|Scottish politician, academic (born 1964)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}} {{Use British English|date=December 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Susan Deacon | honorific_suffix = [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] | image = Susan_Deacon_MSP.jpg | office = Chair of the [[Scottish Police Authority]] | term_start = 4 December 2017 | term_end = 5 December 2019 | predecessor = Andrew Flanagan | successor = David Crichton (interim) | office1 = [[Minister for Health and Community Care]] | term_start1 = 19 May 1999 | term_end1 = 28 November 2001 | first_minister1 = [[Donald Dewar]]<br>[[Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness|Jim Wallace]] (acting)<br>[[Henry McLeish]] | predecessor1 = ''Office established'' | successor1 = [[Malcolm Chisholm]] | constituency_MP2 = [[Edinburgh East and Musselburgh (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh East and Musselburgh]] | parliament2 = Scottish | majority2 = | term_start2 = 6 May 1999 | term_end2 = 2 April 2007 | predecessor2 = ''Office established'' | successor2 = [[Kenny MacAskill]] | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|02|2|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Musselburgh]], Scotland | death_date = | death_place = | resting_place = | birth_name = Susan Catherine Deacon<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/580999/new-years-honours-2017-full-list.pdf|date=30 December 2016|accessdate=30 December 2016|work=[[Gov.uk]]|publisher=[[Government Digital Service]]|title=New Year's Honours list 2017|page=14}}</ref> | party = [[Scottish Labour|Labour]] | other_party = | spouse = | partner = John Boothman | relations = | children = 2 | alma_mater = [[University of Edinburgh]] | occupation = | profession = | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | signature = | website = | caption = Official portrait, 1999 }} '''Susan Catherine Deacon''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE}} (born 2 February 1964) is a Scottish business executive, advisor and former politician who served as [[Scottish Police Authority|Chair of the Scottish Police Authority]] from 2017 to 2019. A member of the [[Scottish Labour Party]], she served as the first [[Minister for Health and Community Care]] in the [[Scottish Government|Scottish Executive]] under first ministers [[Donald Dewar]] and [[Henry McLeish]] from 1999 to 2001.
She was the [[Member of the Scottish Parliament]] (MSP) for [[Edinburgh East and Musselburgh (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh East & Musselburgh]] from 1999 to 2007. She was Assistant Principal External Relations at the [[University of Edinburgh]] from 2012 to 2018 and has been a non-executive director of several companies. She was the first female Chair of the Institute of Directors from 2015 to 18.
==Early life == Susan Catherine Deacon was born in [[Musselburgh|Musselburgh Maternity Hospital]] in East Lothian on 2 February 1964. The youngest child, her parents were natives of [[Leith]] and moved to the village of [[Inveresk]] with Deacon's older brother in the early 1960s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Susan Deacon (1964) – Inveresk Village, Musselburgh 1960s & 1970s – The Fourth Statistical Account |url=https://el4.org.uk/growing-up/susan-deacon/ |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=el4.org.uk}}</ref> She attended [[Musselburgh Grammar School]] where she was head girl and active in inter-schools debating. She studied at the University of Edinburgh, graduating with an MA (Hons) in Social Policy and Politics in 1987 and later an MBA in 1992. She was vice president of [[Edinburgh University Students' Association]], and chair of [[Scottish Labour Students]].
==Early career== {{BLP unreferenced section|date=July 2024}} Deacon's early career was in [[Local government in Scotland|local government]] where she worked for seven years in research and management roles. After a spell in management consultancy and training in the private sector, she became director of [[MBA]] programmes at the [[Edinburgh Business School]], at [[Heriot-Watt University]], which included managing Scotland's first Consortium MBA programme for companies. Deacon was involved in the creation of the Business School as a new graduate school within the university.
Meanwhile, she rose through Labour ranks serving on the [[Scottish Labour Party's National Executive]] and was a founder member of the [[Devolution|pro-devolution]] pressure group, [[Scottish Labour Action]].
==Member of Scottish Parliament== Deacon was elected to the [[Scottish Parliament]] as MSP for [[Edinburgh East and Musselburgh (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh East and Musselburgh]] in [[1999 Scottish Parliament election|May 1999]] and, though widely tipped for ministerial office, her appointment by First Minister [[Donald Dewar]] as Scotland’s first cabinet [[Minister for Health and Community Care]] came as a surprise to many.<ref>Leader column, The Herald (Glasgow), 18 May 1999.</ref> She had been education spokesperson in Dewar's [[election campaign]] team and had been initially rejected as a candidate by Scottish Labour's controversial [[vetting]] process,<ref>"Holyrood hopeful gets a second chance", The Scotsman, 10 August 1998. </ref> eventually becoming the only person to appeal successfully. Despite this rocky start, Deacon gained respect in the new Parliament and was regarded as one of Labour's most effective performers – and was tipped as a possible future First Minister.<ref>"Holyrood Health", Sunday Herald magazine, 6 February 2000.</ref> In 1999, she won Frontbencher of the Year in the Herald's inaugural Scottish Politician of the Year Awards, and was nominated alongside Donald Dewar and [[Alex Salmond]] for that year's Scottish Politician of the Year accolade.
[[Henry McLeish]] reappointed Deacon as Health Minister when he took over as First Minister following the death of Donald Dewar in November 2000 and she continued until McLeish’s resignation in November 2001. Deacon was offered a further Cabinet position by incoming First Minister [[Jack McConnell]] in November 2001 but, by then pregnant with her second child, decided instead to leave Government<ref>{{ cite web | url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/deacon-pregnancy-forced-me-to-resign-former-health-minister-breaks-silence-1.165924 | title=Deacon: pregnancy forced me to resign | work=The Herald | date=1 December 2001 }}</ref> and go to the [[backbenches]].
During her time as Health Minister, Deacon led major changes in the governance and leadership of the [[National Health Service in Scotland]] and championed reforms in [[child health]], [[mental health]] and [[elderly care|older people's care]]. She was responsible for the first Scottish Health Plan.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/onh/onh-02.htm | title=Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change | work=NHS Scotland | date=2001 }}</ref>
A critic of the flagship policy of [[Personal care|free personal care]], she argued against its introduction saying future costs were unknown and may not be sustainable – a view rejected by the [[Scottish Parliament]]. She won plaudits for her strong stance against militant [[anti-abortion]] campaigners,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/545829.stm | title='Stalin' jibe over abortions | work=BBC News | date=2 December 1999 }}</ref> though was criticised by the [[Roman Catholic Church]] for her position on issues such as [[teenage pregnancy]] and [[contraception]].<ref>"Deacon and Winning at war over sex", The Scotsman, 4 December 1999.</ref>
As a backbench MSP Deacon served on several [[Scottish parliamentary committees|Parliamentary Committees]], including Enterprise and Audit. She co-founded and chaired the Cross Party Group on Sexual Health and was involved in work on reproductive health and HIV/Aids both in the UK and abroad. The only Scottish member of the [[Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce|RSA UK]] Commission on Illegal Drugs, Communities and Public Policy,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thersa.org/projects/past-projects/drugs-commission/drugs-report |title=RSA - Drugs Report |access-date=2010-04-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100627215048/http://www.thersa.org/projects/past-projects/drugs-commission/drugs-report |archive-date=27 June 2010 |df=dmy-all }} The RSA UK Commission on Illegal Drugs, Communities and Public Policy. Published March 2007.</ref> Deacon was a critic of Government [[drugs policy]] and opposed the [[Iraq War]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/deacon-defends-rebellion-on-iraq-msp-says-she-is-striking-a-blow-for-honest-and-open-debate-1.125893 | title=Deacon defends rebellion on Iraq | work=The Herald | date=20 February 2003}}</ref><ref>Members debate in Scottish Parliament, 13 March 2003.</ref> Deacon was re-elected as an MSP in 2003 securing the largest Labour majority in Edinburgh. Although she had been selected in 2006 to fight her seat again in the [[2007 Scottish Parliament election|2007 election]], she later announced her decision to not seek re-election to the Scottish Parliament.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/4790113.stm |title=Former minister to leave Holyrood |work=BBC News |date=14 August 2006}}</ref> Deacon said she had had enough of the ‘raw tribalism of party politics’ and that she wanted to 'move on to seek new challenges and to channel my energies in other ways.' <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/article162350.ece | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229193836/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/article162350.ece | url-status=dead | archive-date=29 December 2014 | title=Deacon Blue, Interview with Gillian Bowditch | work=Sunday Times Ecosse | date=20 August 2006 }}</ref>
==Career after Parliament== After leaving politics, Deacon has held a portfolio of roles in higher education, business, the public and third sectors and has contributed to a range of governance and policy reviews in various areas of public life. She was Professor of Social Change at [[Queen Margaret University]], Edinburgh<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/sir-tom-is-set-for-uni-honour-1-1201005/amp |title=Sir Tom is set for uni honour |work=The Scotsman |date=10 April 2007 |accessdate=15 July 2017}}</ref> from 2007–2010 and, in 2010, became an Honorary Professor in the School of Social and Political Science, at the [[University of Edinburgh]]. She was Assistant Principal External Relations at the University of Edinburgh from 2012–2018 which involved developing the university's relationships with external stakeholders and encouraging greater collaboration between academia, policymakers and business.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/13239526.ex-minister-susan-picks-up-new-role-at-edinburgh-uni/ |title=Ex Minister Susan picks up new role at Edinburgh Uni |work=[[The Evening Times]] |date=27 September 2012 |access-date=13 July 2024}}</ref>
In 2010, Deacon was appointed by [[Michael Russell (Scottish politician)|Michael Russell]], MSP, [[Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning]] as the Scottish Government's "Early Years Champion".<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.gov.scot/News/Releases/2010/06/28165226 |title=Deacon to champion action on children's early years |publisher=The Scottish Government |date=27 June 2010 |accessdate=19 June 2016}}</ref> Her report, Joining the Dots,<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.gov.scot/Resource/Doc/343337/0114216.pdf |title=Joining The Dots: A Better Start for Scotland's Children |date=March 2011 | isbn=978-1-78045-050-6 |accessdate=19 June 2016|last1=Deacon |first1=Susan }}</ref> received widespread interest <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-12619882 | title=Ex-minister says action needed to safeguard children | work=BBC News | date=2 March 2011}}</ref> and is credited with influencing policy and investment in children's early years development and education.
Deacon became involved with the global energy group, [[Iberdrola]], following its acquisition of [[ScottishPower]] Ltd in 2007, serving first on the company's UK Advisory Board and then as a non-executive director and Chairman of [[ScottishPower|ScottishPower Renewables]] Ltd. She was a non-executive director of ScottishPower Ltd from 2012–2017 <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.scottishpower.com/news/pages/susan_deacon_appointed_to_scottishpower_board_of_directors.asp | title=Susan Deacon Appointed to ScottishPower board of directors | work=Scottish Power | date=18 July 2012}}</ref> and from 2009 until 2014 was a trustee of Fundación Iberdrola,<ref>[http://www.fundacioniberdrola.org] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517004426/http://www.fundacioniberdrola.org/|date=17 May 2008}} Scottish trustee on Fundación Iberdrola, 18 December 2008.</ref> the Spanish group's global educational and charitable arm.
Deacon has served on a number of other boards and advisory groups, including the [[Traverse Theatre]], [[Pfizer UK|Pfizer UK Foundation]], the Institute of Occupational Medicine, Dewar Arts Awards Trust, and the strategic review of the [[National Trust for Scotland]]. From 2008–2012, she was founding Chairperson of the Hibernian Community Foundation – the charity set up by [[Hibernian Football Club]] and, from 2015–2018, was Chair of the Institute of Directors Scotland, the first woman to hold the position.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-34725140 | title=Susan Deacon to become first woman to chair IoD Scotland | date=4 November 2015 | work=BBC News }}</ref> She is a non-Executive director of [[Lothian Buses]] Ltd, Chair of the Edinburgh Festivals Forum and a Professional Fellow and Advisor with the University of Edinburgh, and serves, in a personal capacity, as a Member of the Secretary of State for Scotland's Scottish Business Task Force. She is a fellow of the RSA and in 2017 was made a Companion of the chartered Management Institute.
===Scottish Police Authority===
In 2017, the Scottish Government announced Deacon's appointment as Chair of the Scottish Police Authority,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.spa.police.uk/news/437924/428620/ | title=New Chair appointed to lead Board of SPA | date=16 November 2017 }}</ref> the national body charged with oversight of Police Scotland, the UK's second largest police service. The third person to hold the position since the creation of a unified police service for Scotland in 2012. Deacon's appointment was widely welcomed, coming as it did on the back of significant criticism of the body and its previous Chair. Deacon signalled a series of early changes in the Authority including a more transparent and outward facing approach <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.spa.police.uk/news/437924/433056/ | title=New Chair begins work on improving police scrutiny | date=5 December 2017 }}</ref> and the appointment of a number of new Board members.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.spa.police.uk/news/451209/ | title=New SPA Board appointments | date=23 March 2018 }}</ref>
Since becoming Chair, Deacon has presided over a number of changes in the leadership of Police Scotland. The previous Chief Constable Phil Gormley resigned in February 2017 and a number of new senior officers have since been appointed to the leadership team.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.spa.police.uk/news/479933/ | title=New ACCs appointed to Police Scotland Leadership team | date=14 June 2018 }}</ref> It is anticipated that a new Chief Constable will be announced in August 2018.
In 2019, Deacon resigned from her position as Chair of the Scottish Police Authority. She noted that "the governance and accountability arrangements for policing in Scotland are fundamentally flawed, in structure, culture and practice". She suggested that in order to resolve these problems the Scottish government needs to consider how policing is scrutinised in Scotland and if, perhaps, there needs to be a better separation of politics and policing. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon rejected Deacon's claims and said that the SPA would continue to make improvements.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-50671357 | title=Police watchdog chief Susan Deacon quits over 'fundamentally flawed' system | date=5 December 2019 }}</ref>
==Awards and honours== Deacon was appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[2017 New Year Honours]] for services to business, education, and public service.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=61803|supp=y|page=N8|date=31 December 2016}}</ref>
==Personal life== Deacon lives in [[Prestonpans]], [[East Lothian]] with her husband John Boothman and their two children.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/deacon-decides-to-quit-holyrood-in-blow-for-labour-1-1130557 | title=Deacon Decides To Quit Holyrood in Blow For Labour | work=The Scotsman | date=14 August 2006}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{SP-MSP}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|sct}} {{s-new|Parliament|reason=[[Scotland Act 1998]]}} {{s-ttl | title=[[Member of the Scottish Parliament]] for {{nowrap|[[Edinburgh East and Musselburgh (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh East and Musselburgh]]}} | years=[[1999 Scottish Parliament election|1999]]–[[2007 Scottish Parliament election|2007]] }} {{s-aft | after=[[Kenny MacAskill]]}} {{s-new|office}} {{s-ttl | title=[[Minister for Health and Community Care]] | years=1999–2001 }} {{s-aft| after=[[Malcolm Chisholm]]}} {{s-end}}
{{Former Labour MSPs|state=collapsed}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deacon, Susan}} [[Category:1964 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Labour MSPs]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]] [[Category:People from Musselburgh]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 1999–2003]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 2003–2007]] [[Category:People educated at Musselburgh Grammar School]] [[Category:Health ministers of Scotland]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh constituencies]] [[Category:Women members of the Scottish Government]] [[Category:20th-century Scottish women politicians]] [[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:Academics of Queen Margaret University]]